Published: 9/18/2016 10:56:37 PM
GREENFIELD — The Stone Soup Cafe in Greenfield will kick off its annual fundraiser Friday, Sept. 23 with a live auction and concert by local folk band Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, corner of Hope and Main streets. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. for the 8 p.m. concert.
Those events will coincide with a Mediterranean meal prepared by the cafe’s head chef, Kirsten Levitt of Greenfield and a volunteer staff. Local comedic juggler Rob Peck will open for the band. The dinner before the concert, which is sold out, will be served at 6:30 p.m., according to the organizer.
The auction, which will start around 7:15 p.m., will include items from local merchants and retailers, artwork, and crafted goods that can be made to the buyer’s specifications.
Advance concert tickets at $15 are available at World Eye Bookshop, Boswell’s Books in Shelburne Falls and at the cafe on Saturday. Tickets are available at the door, too.
Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem have been touring North American for about 16 years and enjoy supporting local programs like the cafe, according to the organizers.
About Stone Soup CafeThe Stone Soup Cafe is a pay-what-you-can community meal served each Saturday at the All Souls Church in Greenfield.
The idea is to break down class barriers — some people may not be able to pay anything, while others could pay more than the meal is worth, but all eat together, according to Rebecca King, who serves on the cafe’s board. That helps preserve the dignity of each person who sits down for the meal, she said.
“Stone Soup is a welcoming place, and a communal effort from start to finish. People come from all walks of life to prepare the meal, set up the dining room, eat together, share their lives with one another, and clean up after the meal together,” said King. “This noontime meal on Saturdays is the only community meal in Franklin County on the weekends, and offers second helpings and enough to take home for a Sunday meal as well.”
The program hopes funds raised through the event can also be used to help the organization start offering culinary skills training for youth, according to a press release.