Last week, Laura Martorell and Carolyn Gallegher hosted the leaders of the five community kitchens gathered in Vista Flores, on the site of the future Community Center and Vocational School.
The purpose was to gather and reflect on the incredible work they’ve accomplished and plan for the future. Each of the five kitchen leaders received one piece of a puzzle. One by one, they placed their pieces together until the message became complete: Every piece matters. Together, we make it possible for no child to go without a meal. Every small gesture makes something much greater possible.
Then, each leader removed their piece and turned it over. On the back was a single word: hope, commitment, donation, time, or love. They were invited to reflect on what that word meant in the context of their daily work.
Each leader spoke from experience—about the time it takes to prepare meals week after week, the generosity that makes the work possible, and the commitment and hope that keep them going.
One reflection was especially powerful: the hope that one day community kitchens like theirs will no longer be necessary, because every child will have enough food at home.
The gathering gave the Foundation and kitchen leaders an opportunity to renew their shared commitment to the work and formalize it in an agreement outlining how they will continue working together.
Each kitchen has its own realities and challenges but so many people contribute the work: kitchen leaders, Foundation staff, donors, and the families themselves. Each brings something different to the picture.
Every piece matters.
