Two years ago, Matt and Nicole Sileno moved to the Williamsburg area and opened their Matchsticks BBQ Co. food truck, which quickly became known for their brisket, ribs and of course, barbecue.
Always intending to help their community, the couple started a program to pay down the lunch debt for Williamsburg and James City Schools ? a feat they’ve done three times in the year that their Lunch Box Program has been in existence. The Silenos, meanwhile, were well on their way to their dream of opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Then the coronavirus hit. Schools and businesses closed. The call went out that families needed food. So the Silenos stepped up, deciding to hand out free lunches to schoolchildren.
“We’ve already been trying to figure out how to help kids in the community who might not be as fortunate as others,” Matt Sileno said, “so this was a natural progression.”
For the past few weeks, the Toano couple has been at the site of their future restaurant in Midtown Row on Richmond Road every Thursday, handing out hot dogs and pulled pork sandwiches free to children. Even when their food truck has been out of commission, they have been setting up a table to hand out lunches.
About 400 lunches have been distributed so far, estimated Matt Sileno. Donations from the community have boosted the program, and the food truck ? now back in operation ? is also serving customers. Since the Silenos announced on their Facebook page last month that they were accepting donations (matchsticksbbq.com/shop), money has been flooding in from throughout the country. Others have offered donations of desserts and even bubbles.
“The community has stepped up,” Matt Sileno said. “That’s the thing about this area. We’re all trying to find ways to come together to help.”
Camera Williams, a James City County mother of three, is among those taking advantage of the Silenos’ generosity. She’s also been depending on meals given out by the school system.
“This has been very helpful,” said Williams, whose children are 13, 7 and 3. “Because my kids don’t have everything and I definitely don’t have a lot of money to spend, to be able to get them a meal for free when we can’t afford it is a great benefit to my family.”
Matchsticks BBQ
The Matchsticks BBQ Co. food truck is in the parking lot at Midtown Row (the restaurant’s future home), 1260 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
