The Long Beach family-owned and operated barbecue spot Axiom Kitchen usually spends its days preparing tender brisket, slathered ribs and scrumptious sides. Since this past summer though, they’ve been cooking something else up: a foundation set to make a difference in Long Beach.
NoahS’s Arc Foundation, started by Qiana Williams and her family in August, is an ambitious undertaking which plans to care for families, children, homeless residents and those in need of a second chance.
Before knowing what the foundation would focus on, Williams said the idea has been “a seed for some time.” The foundation was created in honor of her son Noah who died in 2018 as a “testament to the enduring love and cherished memory” his family still holds, the foundation’s website reads.
The foundation hopes to alleviate food and clothing insecurity and housing instability through partnerships and outreach efforts. It will also provide fine arts outings, fine dining, cultural experiences and more to marginalized people who otherwise may not be able to take part in those activities.
“The goal is to show people there’s more in life, there’s this whole other side maybe they haven’t experienced, or maybe they had experienced it and then they fell off and they just want to get back to themselves,” Williams said.
Another goal of the program is to provide free etiquette and dancing lessons for children.
Williams said she was on a positive path as a real estate agent when she was introduced to drugs, fell off and wound up in a rehabilitation center 10 years ago. Through that process, she and other women were put through a program where they were introduced to the arts, writing, poetry readings, live performances and other cultural and artistic experiences.
“It was so transformative for me and it brought me back to what I needed to do for myself and whatever I had lost in that period of time,” Williams said. “So personally for me, I know for a fact that these kinds of things work because I’ve experienced it.”
Along with herself, Williams said multiple women she still speaks to were changed by those experiences as they grew into providing a better life for themselves.
As a new nonprofit, NoahS’s Arc Foundation is currently in the process of planning its programs, acquiring funding and locating a warehouse to work out of. The foundation is currently holding a holiday donation drive, and accepting non-perishable foods, canned goods and holiday treats that can be used to create gift baskets for families in need.
Residents can also donate toys, books and clothing that the foundation will use for holiday gifts for children.
For more information about NoahS’s Arc Foundation, visit noahssarcfdn.org/.
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