The Common Good Soup Kitchen was founded in 2009 with the belief that no one should have to struggle on an empty stomach. Our goal is to change the face of local community soup kitchens and bring aid and fellowship to those in need. We can accomplish this goal by continuing and expanding our current programs: our food pantry and food deliveries, our pay-what-you-can community meals, and our fundraising efforts to support this programming. Each week, we pack boxes filled with produce, meat, bread and pastries, and pantry staples that have been donated, gleaned, or procured from partners such as Good Shepherd. These weekly food boxes, available to anyone in the community who needs it, are a lifeline for many folks. With more funding and volunteer support, we would like to be able to offer these food boxes twice per week so that community members relying on these boxes for perishables like fresh produce can enjoy healthy produce throughout the week. Another key aspect of our food security programming is our weekly community meal, which has been put on pause as our space undergoes necessary renovations. The meal, prepared fresh every week from donated, gleaned, and purchased produce and staples by volunteers, is offered to the whole community, and attendees are invited to pay via donation as they are able. All of our community food programs are supported by our summer-long fundraising, as well as by generous grants and donations from friends of the Common Good Soup Kitchen.