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...
Good morning on this beautiful Fall day! Believe it or not, after all the flurry of the past several weeks, including the end of our fiscal year, last week was relatively peaceful. That allowed me to get caught up on a few things and just to be grateful for all of the people who make what we do possible. I think you know about many of them, but they all deserve a shout-out. Telling you about them all might also inspire someone else to want to join them too! Gratitude and appreciation for all of the following: Wednesday morning packing crew, Friday afternoon dinner crew, Saturday morning pantry crew, Coffee Bar crew Shoppers for bread, produce, pantry items People who pick up and deliver to us Cookie bakers Those who arrange food drives Special projects like the Newton Street Festival Recyclers The Merrimack Valley Food Bank, the Community Harvest Project, the Boston Area Gleaners, the IC Credit Union Local civic and religious organizations, Scouts, Police and Fi...