Stone Soup Saturday - Avon Congregational Church, Avon, CT

Stone Soup Saturday
Avon Congregational Church
Avon, CT

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One night while my family was eating dinner, I gave my 7 year-old son a sermon on the merits of broccoli, squash and other vegetables. During my lofty pontification, I mentioned that there were hungry children in the world who would love to have these foods to eat. Connor asked if there were children nearby that we could deliver his vegetables to . . . . At first I didn't know if this was an effort to change the subject or if he was really concerned. But then he went on to ask what we did as a family to help the hungry.

So we talked about the annual Thanksgiving turkey we donate to Foodshare as well as the food items we give to Gifts of Love and other food drives we participate in. Connor's response was that this really wasn't very much from our family and that we could do more. Maybe we could get other families from church to help, too.

Around this time the women's Fellowship was trying to act on goals that emerged from last year's All-Church Vision Workshop. One was for more hands-on outreach opportunities. Another was for programs that would be inter-generational and inter-gender. Cooking for a food kitchen seemed like a perfect idea to meet both of those goals. Our teens, men & women of all ages could work together toward on a common project.

Women's Fellowship was enthusiastic about organizing this project and quickly all the details fell into place. My daughter suggested that we ask people to donate ingredients for soup as in the folktale "Stone Soup" where many individuals contributed ingredients to add to the community soup pot. Church members sign up to drop off ingredients or to help prepare the meal. Brightview Nursing Home in Avon donates the meat ingredients which makes the project a community effort. Sue Day delivers the meals to Hartford.

Last Fall, volunteers donated food and time to prepare Chicken Tortellini Soup and Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup. The meals, which were prepared right in our church kitchen were delivered to Loaves & Fishes Food Kitchen in Hartford where 120 people were fed. Loaves & Fishes has raved about our contributions and has featured the Stone Soup project in its publications.

Courtney Wagner mixes corn meal batter.

Loaves & Fishes Ministries Programs revolve around their food kitchen which was started over 10 years ago. The goal is to provide some sense of community fabric through food, education and counseling to people below the poverty line. By assisting the poor, Loaves & Fishes hopes to have a positive impact within the Asylum Hill neighborhood - reducing crime and violence and improved overall living environment. For anyone who wonders if there are really many hungry people in the Hartford area - Loaves & Fishes feeds between 120 and 150 men, women and children daily . . . and so our contribution is greatly appreciated. L&F requested our recipes. Hmmm .... start with one large pot, 3 large stones . . . .

Working on Stone Soup Saturdays is rewarding but its also lots of fun. Volunteers range in age from middle school through senior citizens, male and female. People made new friends. We cried together cutting onions and laughed when one batch of corn muffins came out white because we forgot to add the cornmeal. Many people who were unable to cook dropped ingredients ahead of time, helped cleanup, delivered the food, made phone calls or simply returned later in the day to put the cooled soup in containers for delivery. Everyone who was involved felt that this was a "win-win" project.

NatehanTesterman & Courtney Wagner work on the muffins.

It's easy to get involved in Stone Soup Saturdays; just sign up on the bulletin board in the hallway. The lists for ingredient donations and for volunteers are posted for weeks prior to each Stone Soup Saturday. We need firm commitments if you sign up and you will receive a reminder call a few days in advance. Food preparation begins at 10 AM and we finish cleaning up around noon. Call (561-4747) or e-mail Karen Rowntree for more information.

Stone Soup

Once upon a time there lived an old woman who was very poor. She was all alone in the world and frequently experienced cold, hunger, and loneliness. One day she felt her empty stomach growl and she was weak from lack of nourishment. Although she hated asking for help, she started begging in town. Many people passed her by -- no one gave her a thing. Some thought she must be lazy that she begged for food, others regarded her as dirty, lazy and worthless ... most didn't giver her a second thought. They assumed someone else would help her.

Then the old woman had an idea. She got her kettle, filled it with water and a few stones. then she built a fire to warm the kettle right in the center of town. As passersby glanced into the pot, they asked what she was cooking -- she replied "Stone Soup" and offered to share with anyone who added ingredients to the pot. First someone added carrots. Then there were potatoes and celery. Next some chicken meat was thrown in. Soon the kettle was bubbling and the aroma of the soup wafted through the village. More and more food arrived. Many hungry people were fed.