My Brother’s Table

CONTACT:

98 Willow St.
Lynn, MA 01902
781-595-3224
www.mybrotherstable.org

Ilia Stacy

DESCRIPTION:

In the heart of Lynn, My Brother's Table is a clear model of philanthropy in action: 2,500 volunteers and thousands of individuals' dollar-donations--no federal, state, or local government aid, no United Way support--produce and prepare a stream of food from supermarkets, restaurants, food drives, and individual donors, to feed 200 hungry, homeless, or lonely people every day, 365 days each year, year after year. "Soup kitchens" are simply people, kitchens, and dining rooms. At My Brother's Table, boarding house residents, the de-institutionalized mentally ill, the disabled, elderly, unemployed and underemployed, even kids who have "aged-out" of the foster care system, are served a hot, nutritious, meal as guests in the Table's spacious dining room.

The core program remains the same today as when it began more than 20 years ago (with many of the same loyal volunteers!) but as often happens, the mission has broadened to include advocacy and services for the Table's guests--from a popular art therapy program to a medical clinic, from meeting space for AA to social clubs for the elderly. A huge cadre of volunteers from North Shore churches, temples, corporations, clubs, schools, and families, serve the guests, who come primarily from Lynn. Why don't you, too, come to this Table?

(2002: HUMAN SERVICES: Well-Being)