Stone Soup Kitchen Ministries

  This is my last letter to you in 2024! I can't believe the year is over already. Sure, there were days that I thought would never end, but overall, the weeks and months just flew by. If you had time to read my last letter, before Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, then you know that Living Water Fellowship, the church that gave Stone Soup Kitchen a home back in 2019 has been summarily and unilaterally closed by the district that oversees them, effective February 1, 2025. The local congregation was given no voice in the matter, and the congregants are hurting over the decision and the way it was done. If you are a member of a local faith community, please be on the lookout at your services for people who may be showing up, looking for a new home. We are extremely grateful to this church and the former pastor, Bob Brachel, for providing us with a place to do our work for the past 6 years. Of course, Stone Soup Kitchen also needs a new home, and we have been invited to mov...

  Stone Soup Kitchen opens at 4 pm on Friday evenings, located at Living Water Fellowship in Devenscrest, Ayer. It 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, do puzzles, or play games in the dining room. The potluck dinner is available from 5 to 5:30 followed by dessert and our support group. The open support group meeting with Teri T runs from 5:30 to 6, if you'd like to stay for it after dinner. This week, the potluck will feature pizza casserole + ziti alfredo, 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. If you need food, or KNOW someone who needs food...please come pick some up. Email any questions to stonesoupkitchenministries @ gmail . com (remove the spaces) or leave us a private comment here. ANYone is welcom...

  Stone Soup Kitchen opens at 4 pm on Friday evenings, located at Living Water Fellowship in Devenscrest, Ayer. It 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, do puzzles, or play games in the dining room. The potluck dinner is available from 5 to 5:30 followed by dessert and our support group. The open support group meeting with Teri T runs from 5:30 to 6, if you'd like to stay for it after dinner. This week, the potluck will feature chicken tetrazzini, 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. If you need food, or KNOW someone who needs food...please come pick some up. Email any questions to stonesoupkitchenministries @ gmail . com (remove the spaces) or leave us a private comment here. ANYone is welcome...no que...

  This program is only for people living in Ayer MA or planning to move there. If you're not in Ayer, check with your Town to see if you have a similar program! Look to see if you have an Affordable Housing Committee or an Affordable Housing Trust in your Town, and advocate for one if you don't.

  Flurries in the air, a beautiful full moon, and the winter solstice fast approaching! Packages to wrap, cards to write, houses to decorate, cookies to bake (rugelach are my favorite), parties to attend, busy busy busy...Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Festivus...more more more. Please, someone make it slow down!! I love this time of the year. No complaints, other than it goes too fast. But for many people, it's a very stressful and difficult stretch of time. If they've lost someone dear, if they don't have enough time to do everything they think they should, if they're not in a festive mood for any reason, or if they don't have enough money to make it magical for their loved ones. I'm not talking about whether or not they can afford the newest version of some fancy toy, but whether or not they can put enough food on the table and give their child something, anything, to make the holidays special. That's where all of us who have enough and even m...

  Stone Soup Kitchen opens at 4 pm on Friday evenings, located at Living Water Fellowship in Devenscrest, Ayer. It 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, do puzzles, or play games in the dining room. The potluck dinner is available from 5 to 5:30 followed by dessert and our support group. The open support group meeting with Teri T runs from 5:30 to 6, if you'd like to stay for it after dinner. This week, the potluck will feature calico beans with sausages, 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. If you need food, or KNOW someone who needs food...please come pick some up. Email any questions to stonesoupkitchenministries @ gmail . com (remove the spaces) or leave us a private comment here. ANYone is welcome....

Good morning! Although we have officially seen the end of the season of fresh produce from Boston Area Gleaners and their beautiful farm in Acton, unofficially we've continued to receive the bounty from some last minute loads that come from other area farms. Thanks to the diligence of Jess in Acton, and our friends Alison + Rich who do the pick ups, we've continued to be able to pass these fruits and vegetables out to our guests, and also to send the excess further west to other pantries. We are grateful every week for these food warriors! Boston Area Gleaners sent out an end of the season report that I think you'll find interesting:  “This year is particularly special as we celebrate 20 years in operation. With your partnership, we’ve been able to expand our reach and strengthen our efforts toward a more equitable food system. For instance, this year we have distributed 1.5 million pounds of produce (and counting!) to 61 food access partners. That is a 41% increase i...

  Stone Soup Kitchen opens at 4 pm on Friday evenings, located at Living Water Fellowship in Devenscrest, Ayer. It 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, do puzzles, or play games in the dining room. The potluck dinner is available from 5 to 5:30 followed by dessert and our support group. The open support group meeting with Teri T runs from 5:30 to 6, if you'd like to stay for it after dinner. This week, the potluck will feature Salisbury steaks, 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. If you need food, or KNOW someone who needs food...please come pick some up. Email any questions to stonesoupkitchenministries @ gmail . com (remove the spaces) or leave us a private message on our facebook page. ANYone is welc...

  Alexei Navalny: "...life works in such a way that social progress and a better future can only be achieved if a certain number of people are willing to pay the price for their right to have their own beliefs. The more of them there are, the less everyone has to pay. And the day will come when speaking the truth and advocating for justice will be commonplace and not at all dangerous in Russia." I've been obsessed with Alexei Navalny ever since I first learned about him. The biggest reason for my obsession: He went back voluntarily. To Russia. Knowing what would probably happen to him. How was he able to be so courageous? The answer is actually pretty simple, although Navalny was not a simple man: Convictions. Not dreams and wishes, but solid convictions. Here are some excerpts from his diary, shortly before his death: "If your convictions mean something, you much be prepared to stand up for them and make sacrifices if necessary. And if you'r...