Food and Connection Series: The Cafe Fighting Food Insecurity with Kirsten Levitt

Pay What You Can is on the table today!On the fifth episode of our Food & Connection series, we're joined by Kirsten Levitt, Executive Director and Executive Chef of Stone Soup Cafe. Stone Soup Cafe is a nonprofit, pay-what-you-can community café in Greenfield, Massachusetts, dedicated to bringing people together through healthy, nourishing meals. Its mission is simple yet transformative: to ensure everyone has access to a meal regardless of their ability to pay, while fostering dignity, belonging, and food security within the community.Kirsten joins Ashley to share the mission and vision behind Stone Soup Cafe, exploring how its founders grounded the organization in the principles of Socially Engaged Buddhism. She discusses the community they've cultivated, the philosophy behind the café's mutual aid model, the impact of its solidarity workshops, and her vision for expanding this nonprofit. The result is a conversation that reminds us of the extraordinary power of a shared meal, and how something as simple as gathering around a table can help change the world. Throughout this series, we've explored how food can strengthen family bonds, connect complete strangers, and now, serve as a powerful tool in addressing food insecurity and building more resilient communities.Listen to the full episode, out now on your favorite podcast platform.Learn more about Stone Soup Cafe.Read about The History of Stone Soup Cafe.Read Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) by Dean Spade.Read Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss.Read McElligot's Pool by Dr.Seuss.Read The Clan of the Cave Bear: Earth's Children, Book One by Jean M. Auel.Follow On the Table with Ashley on Instagram and TikTok.On the Table with Ashley is presented by Âme Atendre, a luxury home goods and tableware brand with a mission to connect people to all that matters.