Stone Soup Kitchen Ministries

  Photo by Paula Sullivan This past Saturday left me hopeful. And then we woke up to a mix of rain and snow this morning...but no worries! This is just typical flighty New England weather during the transition from winter to mud season. Soon, soon, I keep telling myself. The increased light helps a lot. And the flowers do too!  Thank you to Paula S for brightening our day. I appreciate the responses from so many of you last week. They also left me very hopeful. All of you are part of a community that cares about the people who are being left behind. Your responses reassured me that there is a deep well of caring in all of you and in our community as a whole. I pray that other regions and other States have individuals, businesses, civic clubs, churches, and other houses of worship like we do around here, with the spirit of generosity that all of you have. In the past couple of weeks, we have had new volunteers and donors, including a new cookie baker, a new Saturd...

  Stone Soup Kitchen opens at 4 pm on Friday evenings, located at Shepherd of the Valley Church on Washington Street in Ayer. 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 tacos with all the 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 up. Email any questions to ston...

The entire team that is responsible for managing the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which supports approximately 6.2 million people across the U.S. in paying their heating and cooling bills, has been fired.   It just keeps getting better and better.  At Stone Soup Kitchen, we have many friends who have received help from LIHEAP from time to time.  One person in particular, I'll call him George, came to us for help with food for his family, and said that he was behind on his utility bills because of his wife's illness.  Some of you may know that even if you have health insurance, it doesn't pay for everything, and if you are also an hourly worker... well, you can see how this situation could snowball.  No income from your ill spouse, no income from you as you take time off for their medical needs, bills pile up -- rent, electric, gas or oil, medical costs -- and then there is this pesky need for food several times a day.   We ...