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A local potluck and food pantry. We get together, we share food, and we talk!

The story of "stone soup" exists all over the world. In my favorite variation, a hungry traveler appears in a village with nothing but an empty cooking pot, a spoon, and his appetite. When the suspicious villagers will not show him any hospitality, he sets up his cooking pot in the village square and begins to boil water with a simple stone in it. As the curious townsfolk pass by and ask him what he is doing, he stirs the pot and tells them that he is making stone soup. Further, he explains that at the end of the day when the soup is ready, everyone will be welcome to come and share it with him. Eventually, one person ventures that the soup might taste better with a few onions. Soon the villagers are each bringing a couple of carrots, a potato, a little salt, whatever they have on hand to add to the stone soup. At the end of the day, the whole town shares a delicious pot of soup (minus the stone, of course), and they have also learned a valuable lesson about the joys of shari...
Recent posts

Friday Social + Potluck, Friday Support Group, + Saturday Food Pantry

  Stone Soup Kitchen opens at 4 pm on Friday evenings, located at Shepherd of the Valley Church on Washington Street in Ayer (the sign says Federated Church). Please park in the Newton Street lot and walk up to the first blue door on Washington Street. Dinner is open to ANYone who wants a good hot meal and some company...no need to bring anything but yourself unless you want to! From 4 to 5, we are open for those who want to get together and socialize in the dining room. The potluck dinner is available from 5 to 5:30 followed by dessert and our open support group, which runs from 5:30 to 6, if you'd like to stay for it after dinner. This week, the potluck will be a turkey dinner, with sides, dessert, juice, and some extra snacks to take home for the weekend. Our food pantry is open every Saturday morning from 10 to noon, same location. Come to the parking lot on Cambridge Street and follow the arrows. If you need food, or KNOW someone who needs food...please come pick s...

March 3, 2025 newsletter

  Good morning and happy March! Let's all hope that this roller coaster of temperatures will end soon. As my friend Catie said yesterday, “oh sure, we get this beautiful warmish day where everything starts to melt, and then...ice.” But I also want to report that my friend Paula does a countdown each year between the fall and spring time-change, and at the end of last week, we entered the single digits! More evening light is always a good thing for me, and I hope it is for you too. Even though we all miss that “lost” hour of sleep! Before I forget, there won't be a letter next Monday. I have finally been able to arrange a visit with my Dad late this week and into next week. We lost my Mom early in January, and he reassured me that he was fine, so that SSK could complete our move. My brother lives near him, so I knew he really was ok, but...well, I'm a Daddy's girl. I need to go see him. Last week was very busy, but for the first time, we felt like the sche...

February 24, 2025 newsletter

  Good morning to all of you who have suffered through the icy snow and come out the other side! 40's and 50's this week, apparently, for most of us. Personally, I don't care nearly as much about the temperature as I do about the wind and the ice, but I know a lot of us are looking forward to more moderate temperatures. Have I told you recently that we have the BEST group of volunteers you could imagine? Late Friday night, I began to develop bronchitis, and by Saturday morning, there was no way that I was going to be able to be there for the full pantry session. I didn't need to be. With Tina in charge, Kim, Melanie, Ned, Lin, Elliot, Sue, and Debbie made sure that everyone got the food, smiles, coffee, and encouragement they needed. We had a LOT of help from students this past week too. Three Lawrence Academy students baked cookies for our pantry, and a 4th came over with frozen homemade lasagnas to share with our families. So, many thanks to Matt, Emma, ...

Friday Social + Potluck, Friday Support Group, + Saturday Food Pantry

  Stone Soup Kitchen opens at 4 pm on Friday evenings, located at Shepherd of the Valley Church on Washington Street in Ayer (the sign says Federated Church). Please park in the Newton Street lot and walk up to the first blue door on Washington Street. Dinner is open to ANYone who wants a good hot meal and some company...no need to bring anything but yourself unless you want to! From 4 to 5, we are open for those who want to get together and socialize in the dining room. The potluck dinner is available from 5 to 5:30 followed by dessert and our open support group, which runs from 5:30 to 6, if you'd like to stay for it after dinner. This week, the potluck will feature meat loaf, sides, dessert, juice, and some extra snacks to take home for the weekend. Our food pantry is open every Saturday morning from 10 to noon, same location. Come to the parking lot on Cambridge Street and follow the arrows. If you need food, or KNOW someone who needs food...please come pick some u...

February 17, 2025 newsletter

  Good morning to all! I hope you all had enough books and snacks to see you through the nasty weekend. Mike decided to go out sledding in our front yard yesterday, and he needed some hot chocolate when he came back in. I was tempted to go with him, but I slipped on ice last week and tore up my knee, so that was off the table. I had enough books and snacks though! We have an exciting event this Wednesday: we're going to buy and deliver our first installment of pantry supplies for the communal kitchen at the migrant shelter. You may remember that we received a grant specifically to do this (thank you, Greater Lowell Community Foundation!). If you are interested in helping with this, please let me know...even if you can't go this Wednesday, there will be more opportunities in the coming months. I've got some other news to share with you, some good, some not so much. The good news is that we learned about our year end totals from Boston Area Gleaners, the folks ...

Friday Social + Potluck, Friday Support Group, + Saturday Food Pantry

  Stone Soup Kitchen opens at 4 pm on Friday evenings, located at Shepherd of the Valley Church on Washington Street in Ayer (the sign says Federated Church). Please park in the Newton Street lot and walk up to the first blue door on Washington Street. Dinner is open to ANYone who wants a good hot meal and some company...no need to bring anything but yourself unless you want to! From 4 to 5, we are open for those who want to get together and socialize in the dining room. The potluck dinner is available from 5 to 5:30 followed by dessert and our open support group, which runs from 5:30 to 6, if you'd like to stay for it after dinner. This week, the potluck will feature bacon cheeseburger casserole, sides, dessert, juice, and some extra snacks to take home for the weekend. Our food pantry is open every Saturday morning from 10 to noon, same location. Come to the parking lot on Cambridge Street and follow the arrows. If you need food, or KNOW someone who needs food...pleas...

Care packages arrive at the pantry!

  😍Thank you thank you thank you😍  to Sarah Pileeki, Carla Pileeki Fernandes, and the LCE (Leominster Center of Excellence) school! Our dinner and pantry guests will be thrilled to receive these fantastic care packages ❤️