Stone Soup, Serving Those in Need on Thanksgiving and Throughout the Year Since 1982

The nonprofit Stone Soup Corvallis, Inc. provides daily meals at two local churches.

by Pernell Harris
edited by Imke Sellier

Since 1982, Stone Soup has provided a full meal each day to any person in need. Back then, it was lunch on Wednesdays, made in St. Mary’s Catholic Church facilities by a small group of parishioners. Now they serve a variety of daily meals at St. Mary’s and the First Christian Church at various times throughout the week. Over 175 volunteers serve 37,000 meals and contribute 25,000 hours of work annually.

In 2014, Stone Soup obtained nonprofit status and became an independent corporation; Stone Soup Corvallis, Inc., which made it possible to partner with Linn-Benton Food Share. Nonprofit status allows Stone Soup to receive tax free donations, and the partnership enables them to create meals at an average cost of 95 cents per meal.

The organization heavily relies on the community for staffing. Volunteers include Oregon State University (OSU) students, Corvallis and Crescent Valley High School students, individuals from the host congregations at St. Mary’s and First Christian Church, and parishioners from various other churches in Corvallis and the surrounding area.

Regular Thursday serving crew: (from left) Becky, Else, Lynn, Cas Cooper,
and Don, Pernell Harris photo

Cas Cooper has volunteered for Stone Soup for 25 years. She started out as a baker who gleaned pizza dough from Figaro’s Pizza on Sundays to serve to Stone Soup guests throughout the week. Cooper has a passion for helping people and feels fortunate to be where she is.

“At the end of the day,” Cooper said, while plating the meals, “we are doing what needs to be done. They are hungry and they are cold.”

Volunteer tasks range from storing, preparing, cooking, and serving food and beverages to setting up, cleaning up, and storing cooking and serving vessels and flatware. Indirect services include ordering various materials, doing laundry, and filing reports.

Volunteers under 18 can’t perform certain tasks due to safety precautions. They can't cook in an industrial kitchen, for example. But they can participate in plenty of other tasks with signed permission from a parent or guardian. Youth, ages 14-16, must also be picked up and dropped off by an eligible adult.

Susan Dunham has been cooking weekly for Stone Soup since retiring in 1995. Dunham has been a site manager, secretary, and President of the nine-member Board of Directors during her time at Stone Soup.

“It has given me much pleasure to work with other dedicated people,” she said. “I think it makes every cook feel good to feed hungry, grateful people.”

Becky and Lynn plating and sending out meals, Pernell Harris
photo

Stone Soup enjoys an excellent reputation, which is seen through its diverse contributor base, comprising community organizations, schools, faith communities, and businesses.

Stone Soup relies on word-of-mouth to reach its client base of homeless people, food-insecure families who may or may not be homeless, and even OSU students.

A large portion of Stone Soup’s funding comes from donations made by the community, but it does solicit and receive some grants from the government, which constitutes about 15 percent of Stone Soup's budget. In addition, Stone Soup received funds from local and regional foundations and businesses. Many of its donors wish to remain anonymous, but United Way, through the Basic Needs Program and Emergency Food and Shelter Program, is a consistent contributor. Stone Soup has applied for grants from the Kiwanis Foundation, Spirit Mountain Community Fund, and Benton Community Foundation and has received positive responses.

Stone Soup buys a majority of its food from the Linn-Benton Food Share, but some comes from donations of produce from local gardens, such as SAGE, and canned and boxed goods from events, such as school food drives.

Stone Soup’s hours and location of operation change day-by-day. Find them on the Stone Soup website under meal schedule. They work out of St. Mary’s on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and at the First Christian Church on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

This week, Stone Soup will host its annual Thanksgiving dinner at a different site, First Presbyterian Church’s Dennis hall. Organizers anticipate hosting 150 - 200 guests, served by approximately 30 volunteers. Chef Steve Chovanec, who has cooked the Thanksgiving meal for 13 years, will run the kitchen. Big River will provide dessert, and the Zion Lutheran School children will make placemats.

Interested in volunteering for or donating to Stone Soup Corvallis, Inc.? Contact them at:


Stone Soup Corvallis, Inc.:

• General email: stonesoupinfo@comcast.net
• Volunteer email: stonesouphelp@gmail.net
• Phone: (541) 757-9725

Stone Soup Thanksgiving Info-Box:

First Presbyterian Church's Dennis Hall, 114 S.W. eighth St., Corvallis, OR 97333
A traditional Thanksgiving meal free to all in need from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m..