Jasmine Road

Jasmine Road and Jasmine Kitchen announce a transformative gift from founder and visionary, Kathryn Norwood. This October, Kathryn and husband Ben Norwood generously donated the property at 503 Augusta Street, along with additional surrounding land, advancing the mission of creating safe housing and economic mobility opportunities for women survivors of sex trafficking, prostitution, and addiction.
“I am hopeful that this gift will ensure the sustainability of Jasmine Kitchen by providing an affordable permanent home for the social enterprise business and will allow current and future leaders agency over how to best grow the organization to create more opportunities for education, employment, job training and professional development for residents and graduates of Jasmine Road,” said Kathryn.
Kathryn’s leadership and generosity have shaped Jasmine Road since its inception. As the organization’s first board chair, she helped establish a sustainable model of hope and healing in Greenville. She also envisioned the first ‘Rooted in Love luncheon’, now a beloved annual event celebrating the women served by Jasmine Road.
Recognizing the need for a social enterprise to support the mission and provide survivors with employment opportunities, Kathryn purchased and combined three separate properties to create the site that would become Jasmine Kitchen. She enlisted restaurateur Kevin Feeny to advise on the restaurant’s launch and rallied the community to bring the vision to life. Kathryn infused Jasmine Kitchen with best practices, deep insight, and contagious passion.
Kathryn served as General Manager for three years, mentoring survivors and equipping staff for long-term leadership, and continues to champion the mission she helped build.
“Kathryn’s vision and unwavering generosity have helped shape Jasmine Road and Jasmine Kitchen into what they are today,” said Lisa O’Connell-Hall, CEO of Jasmine Road and Jasmine Kitchen.