Letter from the Outgoing Board President

By Whitney Robbins

Dear Community,

My heart is full! I’m writing this letter to you in my final days as Stone Soup Café’s Board President to share some reflections on this remarkable community and what it has taught me over the years.

I love Stone Soup Cafe’s mission to create community space where all are welcome to share nourishment, connection, and learning for body, mind, and spirit because I have come to understand that nourishment is not just about calories; it's a complex social arrangement of care.

I didn’t understand this when I first got involved with Stone Soup Café.

Ten years ago, I would stop in on the occasional Friday night to chop some veggies. I didn’t think the meal was for me. Then I was encouraged to come eat on a Saturday and help serve. I loved the food, I liked being helpful, but I still didn’t know how to participate fully. I was good at being busy and “productive,” but I wasn't good at being part of the community. My community.

At first, I was a very reluctant leader. I now realize that I was operating on an old-fashioned charity model, separating myself from others out of fear.

I would fold up chairs while some folks were still eating (rude!), but I couldn’t pause, sit down, make conversation, and really join in the mealtime offering. I had never heard of the Zen Peacemakers' tenets of openness, letting go of fixed ideas, and bearing witness to the world's joy and suffering, thereby facilitating the emergence of loving actions that heal both myself and others.

When I became a Board Member in 2017, I set out to embody our culture and mission.

I saw that Stone Soup was truly welcoming. It was a lovely (and wacky!) cross-section of our community coming together to eat a meal. I understood the literal meaning of sharing nourishment. I understood the importance of connection and meeting different people.

I was also learning a lot, including how to chop vegetables safely, use a microphone to welcome people, take minutes in a meeting, ask people to “pay-what-they-can”, and use Robert’s Rules, to name a few. I still wondered about the spirit part of our mission. What did that mean?

We used to offer a Council Circle after the meal, for those who wanted to practice listening and speaking from the heart in a safe, confidential, structured way. We needed facilitators, so I volunteered to learn this new skill as well.

I was humbled by how hard it was (and how moving it was) to truly bear witness in a non-judgmental and non-fixing way. It was a loving action to simply be together, listening and sharing. I realized I was part of a beloved community. I belonged. It was learning for my spirit.

From that point on, I tried to lead bravely and vulnerably, showing up authentically to help Stone Soup Café in any way I could. As a volunteer cook, portrait painter, sign maker, facilitator, fundraiser, you name it. By the time I became Board President, I knew we were a dynamic and powerful agent of change in our community, and an important model of inclusion and belonging.

Our organization has grown and changed a lot in the last nine years! When the pandemic hit, we recognized our role as an essential service to many in our community, so we pivoted to a take-out and delivery model, guaranteeing safety and access to healthy food for all. We didn't skip a beat or miss a meal.

The learning and connection part of our mission became harder to do during the pandemic because of long lines of people (six feet apart!), masks, and the transition to Zoom meetings, but we knew it was more important than ever as an antidote to isolation and fear. I loved our book group discussions on mutual aid and anti-racism. We took online “emotional CPR” classes together as a leadership team and learned to be trauma-informed. We started curating our sidewalks and walls with vibrant art and signage. Delicious food smells and music were always in the air. Stone Soup became a lifeline for many, myself included!

Our meals now reach far beyond our small dining room in the basement of All Souls Church, and six times as many folks are nourished each Saturday by our meal service and Community Store offerings.

What hasn't changed is our mission and core values of care, collaboration, curiosity, and respect. We are a creative, responsive, mutual aid organization that passionately works to meet our communities' needs and fill the gaps that exist in our local food network.

As Board President, I have had the philosophy that together we will figure out what we need to do next. We are smart enough and creative enough. Adrienne Maree Brown calls it “moving at the speed of trust.” I am proud of the work we are doing, the team we have built, and the flexibility we have demonstrated as an organization.

I am so pleased that Mike Phillips is stepping into the Board President's role as my term comes to an end. He is passionate about our alternative pay-what-you-can business model and the culinary world. I know he will lead with creativity and sensitivity. We are lucky to have his amazing set of skills to offer our community at this moment in time.

I will continue to be part of our wonderful social arrangement of care! Maybe I’ll see you in the Kimchi-making workshop or at a Soup Night. I’m eager to learn what Stone Soup Café means to you. Together, with love and dignity, we can rise to whatever challenges we face.

With much gratitude,

Whitney Robbins

Posted: to Community Newsletter on Fri, Oct 17, 2025
Updated: Fri, Oct 17, 2025