Tom Calhoun part 2
A brief word on brevity. Tom’s story deserves more than a blog post to do justice to his nearly 100 years of life. He has witnessed God’s kindness in many ways. Here, we only hit highlights and let audio clips and photos do a lot of the storytelling. The pictures above are worth at least 3,000 words. The first one is with Ken Langone, a member of the Purple Crow board. From the photo, you can see their mutual admiration. From that same evening is a picture with Tom and his dear wife of 66 years. This photo is from 2024 they same year she went to be with the Lord. The final photo is of him with his 3 sons early in their entrepreneurship. The energy and love come off the page…
In the first blog post, you heard about Tom’s greatest joy, the joy of being found by God’s love. Now let’s listen as he talks about how God’s love called him into ministry and how God blessed him with a wife and family. Then we can understand how, even in his retirement from mission work in Mexico, he continued to do ministry. Listen for the gratitude in his voice for the good gifts God has given along the way. Listen for his understanding of how God moves.
Around 1955, while Tom was in his late-twenties and studying Theology at Pidemont, he could hardly believe that Muriel agreed to go out on a date. He was sure she was far too pretty to be interested in him…
Her beauty was more than skin deep. Tom knows scripture is true when it says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” He said that Muriel's kindness is the reason their sons are men of such character. She had the fortitude for foreign missions and was considering working in Africa. Early on in their courtship, they felt God calling them to something greater. Hear how they agreed to try Mexico first, and then connect with Baptist Mid-Missions.
Thirty years in ministry is easier said then done! The first step was learning Spanish in language school. Tom can look back and see how much he loved Mexico but at the age of 40, starting out, he had doubts about his ability to communicate. Learning a new language is hard for anyone. He is convinced it was only possible for him to learn because others were praying for him. Tom is grateful that a young man by the name of David was part of the language school. God used David to encourage Tom during the struggle to learn.
What is also sweet about this story of struggle is that when Tom got to Mexico, he realized that the folks there were also eager to see him learn. Communication goes both ways, and the Holy Spirit can build channels of communication when we humbly learn. He said the Mexicans were helpful and encouraging, too, in the process of becoming fluent. Learning to speak Spanish proved to be a source of joy and aid in ministry for the next 50 years of his life.
Mexicans made Tom and his family feel welcome in their country, and when he retired, Tom had the chance to practice hospitality to newly arriving Hispanics in North Carolina. In the 2000s Muriel and Tom found themselves back in Winston-Salem, where the three sons were putting down roots. Their boys, having grown up in Mexico, were also busy working with and among the new and rapidly growing Hispanic community in North Carolina. Their language acquisition in Mexico and their love for the Lord made them hard-working and accidental entrepreneurs who were willing and able to do business in Spanish. First, by employing Hispanics at Grass Busters and from there realizing the opportunity to import and distribute brands from Latin America. Purple Crow grew out of the Calhoun’s love of the people, culture, and FOOD from Mexico.
God’s love is always looking for his lost sheep, and Tom, though retired, was still eager to witness that redemptive love at work. So in his seventies when most people are content to take it easy he volunteers to do bilingual jail ministry in Forsyth County. Tom tells a story of Maria who was a great student in his weekly prision Bible study. He vividly remembers how she was diligent in her studies and how in time she grew in grace. Listen to his narration of how when she is being parolled she looked for another person like him to help her continue to grow.
Tom can look back and see God’s hand moving him. His story helps us understand God’s redemptive love at work. It gives us hope that we can learn new things and love our neighbors. Through Tom’s story, we get a glimpse of “the extras God’s given along the way.” Did you hear his chuckle? Did you notice his joy at telling this story?
¡Irresistibly Authentic!
At Purple Crow, we love food! We are in the food distribution business, meaning we sell food. Authentic Hispanic food is our expertise.
Why do we love food? Because it is nourishing, it brings people together, and most importantly, it is delicious. Yesterday’s Tuesday staff lunch had some extra love since our Charlotte sales team was getting a product demo. Hooray for lunch!
Explore the basics of the Christian faith with Fish
Would you like to join us for Alpha hosted by our Chaplian Fish at Purple Crow? We aim to host these conversations monthly at lunch on Tuesdays. What time works for you? Please complete the form to help us plan.
We are on Bus Route 106
Purple Crow at Whitaker Park is on the Winton-Salem Transit Authority bus route 106. Our building is on a transit line due to the advocacy of our neigh-birds at Second Harvest. When they moved in up here (before we did) they were able to champion the need to be on a bus route. We are grateful for their voice and vision.
This morning, we hosted Scott Andree-Bowen, a city council member leading efforts to improve public transportation. It was great to hear his heart for our neighbors and learn about his time as an educator at Philo-Hill. He is letting his light shine in our town. We welcome Scott into Crowminty!
Above and Beyond
What a winter! In the food chain, it is critical to keep things moving. At Purple Crow, many people went “above and beyond” to keep us rolling during this extended time of inclement weather. This photo of Interstate 40 on January 31st serves as a reminder of how treacherous conditions have been over the last few weeks. Also, these two images of our truck yard show just how much snow and ice were removed.
Thank you to the dedicated Purple Crows employees who make us the strongest link in the food chain.
Tom Calhoun
Tom playing chess on a snow day in January 2026
Tom Calhoun is the father of Dan, Nat, and Phil, the founders of Purple Crow. This article is part of a series on faith and values. I interviewed Tom at Bermuda Village (he called it “living in the lap of luxury”) on Thursday afternoon on the 29th of January 2026. We talked while most folks were shut in from the recent snowstorm. His testimony is a powerful witness to how God calls us and loves us every step of the way.
I want Tom’s voice and words to tell his story, so I am providing clips from the interview. I will break these stories into smaller blog posts and along the way provide other links and resources in an effort to show how God’s love multiplies in families and in ministry.
Tom was born in 1928, so he has seen redepmtive love at work for nearly a century. I pray that as you read this, you hear his heart for how the Lord found him and compelled him to become a missionary. A missionary who longs to turn all men back from staggering towards death with the good news that life is found in Jesus Christ.
Listen to Tom’s joy in recounting that he was found by God’s love.
Redd Harper’s guitar and simple message still ring true today. The joy of following Jesus. I didn’t ask Tom if he ever sang any of Harper’s songs during his stint with the chorus at Piedmont but he was glad to tell of how he got to travel and sing with them.
Tom grew up in a caring Christian home, which is helpful to a point. He came to life in Christ in his twenties while serving in the Navy. You can hear how delighted he is in the fact that being stationed in Memphis put him in the path of revival preaching. He was invited to hear the famous Hyman Appleman, an old school gospel preacher. Tom learned about his personal need for repentance and salvation. Let’s listen to how Tom tells about that first night of many attending the revival…
Haymen Appleman’s work as an evangelist is well respected in Independent Baptist circles. He was a Russian Jew who immigrated to the USA as a child. Appleman then attended law school at Northwestern in Chicago, converted to Christianity through the hospitality work of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). This YouTube audio recording of one of his sermons in Cleveland, Ohio demostrates his command as an orator.
“Piedmont Divinity School (originally Piedmont Bible Institute) exists to equip men and women to serve Christ in a variety of ministries. Since its inception in 1945, this purpose has been founded on the primacy of teaching the truths of the inerrant Word of God.”
That night at the revival helped set Tom on a path to Piedmont Bible Institute in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and later to Baptist Mid-Mission. Both Independent Baptist institutions known for their zeal for God’s word.
Tom met his wife, Muriel Kirks Calhoun, while studying at Piedmont. They married in 1958 and answered the call to the mission field in Mexico, all while starting a family. They raised their three sons, Dan, Nat, and Phil, on the mission field in Mexico, where they served for 30 years.
The whole Calhoun family learned to speak Spanish, love the food, and the people of Mexico. Piedmont Bible College meant so much to Tom that he encouraged all 3 of his sons to attend because he was sure they would be in good company.
At 97 years young, we still hear the gratitude in Tom’s voice for God’s love. He remembers his conversation with Dr. Charles Stevens, the founding President of Piedmont, clearly. He helped Tom make the connection of how the Good Shepherd is looking for us. Another interesting connection is that Dr. Stevens graduated from Wake Forest, which was a strong Baptist institution at its inception. What a wonder to hear Tom’s excitement to this day about the Good News of God’s love. Can you hear it?
Stay tuned to hear how he credits Muriel’s kindness in shaping their son’s character and stories from him his ministry. Learn about the humility it takes to learn Spanish at the age of 40 and how that struggle pays off in the lives of newly arriving Hispanics in North Carolina through his bilingual jail ministry.
Part 2 of this is here.
Neigh-birds
We are grateful that the Second Harvest Foodbank is located a block away. They are so close we are going to start calling them our “neigh-birds” instead of neighbors. We both distribute food, so as the saying goes, “birds of a feather flock together.”
This morning, I snapped a quick picture of their driver who came to pick up a donation. Our connection is a blessing. It feels like the beautiful Biblical concept of gleaning. It is part of God’s generous economy.
“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:9-10 NIV
Rescheduling “A Praying Life”
Due to forecast winter weather and its complications on travel, we are rescheduling the A Praying Life seminar. We regret that we are unable to host it this weekend.
It will now take place on March 27th and 28th. Check https://www.crowmunity.com/events-1/a-praying-life for details.
“I - love - bingo - 28”
Tuesday Bingo made its debut on 1/20 and it did not disappoint. Great crowd, great laughs, and just good old-fashioned fun. No gambling, just bragging rights. We will see you every third Tuesday. Drop your name ideas below!
What should we call Bingo on Tuesday Lunches?
Fountain Fun
In a burst of birthday energy, Rick Calabro suggested we throw together a quick fountain contest. Crows across the company jumped in to capture the beauty of our newly restored fountain, and the results were so fun. At our impromptu watch party the people voted. Congrats to our top three winners: Paulina Blink, Milton Rodriguez, Audry Dalton, and Isaac Travis. Moments like this are the perfect reminder that we take our work seriously but not ourselves :)
New Every Morning
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Three Kings Day
Three Kings Day is a celebration of abundance and generosity! It is a recognition of Christ's birth and the gifts the three magi brought to King Jesus. At Purple Crow we celebrate with a Rosca de Reyes. We all laughed at the prospect of getting the baby figure embeded in the cake and in thirty days four lucky cake cutters bring in tamales for the company!
Our friends in Sunnyside at Anthony’s Plot give gifts to the neighborhood children. They throw a party at Trinity Moravian for the families. We were able to support that effort this year with some Crowmunity’s canasta navideña.
Ready to Run
Happy New Year! We are coming into this new year ready to run! We are so excited to partner with the Twin City Track Club this year for a fun community event/race this summer. We are planning for Crowmunity to participate in a big way this year at Beat the Heat, and we are excited to make new friends along the way. We are in conversations with Vamos Run Club and local runner Sandy Castro about including them in Team Crowmunity.
Sandy leads Girls on the Run and, as an educator, is inspiring students at Old Town Elementary. On Saturday, she ran the Frosty 50 K. Look at that smile at the finish of 31 miles! The Frosty 50k also has a very fun Friday night 5k, where we met Brisa’s family. Her nephew Daniel ran 30 minutes for 5k and really had a great attitude.
The energy pouring from Daniela this past Thursday was electric, and it was evident that working with Vamos Run Club would be full of positivity. We hope you will start the year off with positivity and the goal of being part of the excitement at Beat the Heat in July. Whether you are a walker, jogger, or runner, the benefits of physical activity await you, and Crowmunity is cheering for you. Stay tuned for more info.
A Thrill of Hope, The Weary World Rejoices
Love Out Loud did it again! For the 18th year, they hosted Christmas for the City. At a time like now, the Christmas carol lyrics “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoice” from O Holy Night, feel so true. We were so glad to join in the celebration of hope.
Purple Crow represented Mexico in the Christmas Around the World Village. These video reflections from the night speak to the heart and spirit of the event. Our photos below show how much fun we had building crowmunity.
Christmas at the Crow!
This Christmas season was busy one at the nest!
The festivities started with a helpful flock filling 400 Canasta Navideñas for all of our employees! A Canasta Navideña is a gift of provision and love, shared in remembrance of Christ’s birth and God’s care for His people. The canastas were handed at out at our first Christmas Pozole Lunch which was beautifully prepared by our own Natividad Hernandez and Chef Tony!
The Annual Christmas Decorating Contest never fails to bring joy and commradery to the office! This year our crows went all out! Congratulations to the IT department for winning 1st place!
The festivities wrapped up with our first annual “Caroling Crows feat. The Treat Train” with hot chocolate (like Abuelita makes) and carols, fa la la cawwwww!
Bright Hope for Tomorrow
This Christmas, we are grateful for how the Winston-Salem Street School shares Christ's love with students, enabling them to have a bright future. It is our great joy to give them a tour, play an inventory game, and offer them a snack, all to welcome them into crowmunity.
Truly, Christ is our bright hope for tomorrow!
Stories of Redemption
I believe our hearts long for stories of redemption. I can’t tell you Chef Tony’s story about being burned because it is his to tell. I know that he sees giving back to the Burn Unit at Baptist Hospital as a glimpse of all things working together for his good and God’s glory.
This year the crowmunity showed up in a big way to help with this project. It is our third consecutive year of doing care packages, and we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to give back.
All my Fountains are in you
The psalmist declares “all my fountains are in you” speaking of our heavenly Father the giver of good gifts. We pray that the restoration of the fountain at Whitaker Park will be a source of joy and blessing to the community.
Christmas Art in Waughtown
We have a big heart for the Waugtown neighborhood, and this Christmas, we wanted to give back with public art. The artwork shares our love and hope for our neighbors because of Christ came to earth. The message the angels declared was “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” Luke 2:14
Come check it out as part of your holiday celebrations. You will find it at the corner of Old Lexington and Waughtown.