Welcome to the Common Good Soup Kitchen Community
"Food for the Soul, Fearless Optimism in a Bowl"
The Common Good Soup Kitchen is a non-profit organization made up of an all-volunteer group dedicated to promoting health, nutrition, and community among the residents of Mount Desert Island.
Located on the “quiet side” of the island, The Common Good Community offers a by-donation café in the summer that funds community meals and events in the winter.
Since its conception in 2009, the SUMMER café has taken on many forms, finally settling on a breakfast spot that serves homemade oatmeal (with a selection of toppings, brown sugar, raisins, and crushed walnuts), along with freshly baked, light, and airy popovers and wash it all down with some "Wicked Joe's" organic coffee.
The background music featured on this website was magically inspired during the creation of this website. The first song is "Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawi along with two songs from local artists in Maine. The second is "Winter Blues" by The Junkyards Cats, and the third song is "Enjoy the Show" by Trish Mason.
We hope you enjoy the magical inspiration infused into this website and we hope you enjoy your time here and hopefully get to know us, and what we do, a little better.
Located on the “quiet side” of the island, The Common Good Community offers a by-donation café in the summer that funds community meals and events in the winter.
Since its conception in 2009, the SUMMER café has taken on many forms, finally settling on a breakfast spot that serves homemade oatmeal (with a selection of toppings, brown sugar, raisins, and crushed walnuts), along with freshly baked, light, and airy popovers and wash it all down with some "Wicked Joe's" organic coffee.
The background music featured on this website was magically inspired during the creation of this website. The first song is "Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawi along with two songs from local artists in Maine. The second is "Winter Blues" by The Junkyards Cats, and the third song is "Enjoy the Show" by Trish Mason.
We hope you enjoy the magical inspiration infused into this website and we hope you enjoy your time here and hopefully get to know us, and what we do, a little better.
* At any time, if you wish to stop the music you can mute your speakers *
or just hit the pause button on the music player located just below your web browser.
or just hit the pause button on the music player located just below your web browser.
Winter Months on Mount Desert Island
On Mount Desert Island, Maine, winter can mean six months of isolation and tough times, as year-round residents hunker down through the cold season. Larry Stettner and Bill Morrison vowed to change that. In November 2009, the Common Good Soup Kitchen opened its doors to the public offering free soup, as well as live music, and a place for locals to gather, interact, and help each other.
In its first winter of operation, the Common Good served well over 10,000 bowls of soup to the community. Operating entirely by donations, grants, and volunteer labor, the café also runs a distribution program to deliver soup to senior residences and others who cannot make it out to the café.
In its first winter of operation, the Common Good served well over 10,000 bowls of soup to the community. Operating entirely by donations, grants, and volunteer labor, the café also runs a distribution program to deliver soup to senior residences and others who cannot make it out to the café.
"It is amazing what can happen when a group of like minded individuals come together, for a common cause"
What's Happening at the Common Good?
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Currently our winter events program is under way:
To see "what's happening this week" or to view "up and coming" click on the events calendar below! Cooking classes run through March and workshops are held year round. ** The Summer Cafe opens Saturday June 14, 2014 ** |
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Schedule of Events
For a full schedule of winter and spring events, including event menus, dates and times, workshops, cooking classes or if you are interested in more information on how to rent the Common Good and/or having your special event catered, please click the directory below.
Social Media
Social Media is the up and coming way for non-profit organization's "like us" to extend out further into the community and to connect with others of like mind. It is a low cost way for The Common Good Community to reach out to you, providing you with up-to-the-minute updates (Twitter), as well as more detailed information on upcoming events (Facebook). These are just a couple of new and exciting ways we can keep you up-to-date showcasing what we offer to the community.
Follow us ~ Twitter
Whether your tweeting, twittering or twirking don't forget to "follow us" on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates on upcoming events happening at the Common Good Cafe! Free Wi-fi |
Like us ~ Facebook
If you would like to receive detailed information on upcoming events, as well as, after the event celebration updates, such as pictures and video, "like us" on Facebook! |
We also offer free wi-fi access, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, oatmeal, and popovers! We are so fortunate to meet visitors from all over the world who will come to enjoy our local programs and perhaps receive or give back in some meaningful way.
Is there a way you can help?
Please take a moment to consider the many ways in which you may be able to help us make a difference in our community. Perhaps you can volunteer a few hours per week or make a food or monetary donation. We do except food donations from local farms, grocery stores, and restaurants. There are endless ways we can help make life a little easier for another. Maybe, this is one of them.
Did you know ?
Did you know that there was a book written which tells in great detail the entire story of how the Common Good Soup Kitchen was formed, the ideas and the people who needed to come together in order to make it what it is today? We now have a Products page where you can read an excert and purchase a copy of the book, Cooking for the Common Good ~ The Birth of a Natural Foods Soup Kitchen. On the Products page there are also, for a limited time, Volunteer Aprons along with kids clothing and Artwork by Gaia.
Coming soon, the "Popover Wizard" will begin the rollout of his latest brain child, "Common Good ~ Popover Mix" that you can purchase for your or your loved ones as gift. Now you too, will be able to make light, airy, piping hot, fresh popovers in your own kitchen.
Coming soon, the "Popover Wizard" will begin the rollout of his latest brain child, "Common Good ~ Popover Mix" that you can purchase for your or your loved ones as gift. Now you too, will be able to make light, airy, piping hot, fresh popovers in your own kitchen.
Goodwill
We depend primarily on the goodwill of summer visitors to Mount Desert Island to meet our expenses and to keep our winter program going. It is our hope that by providing a pleasant atmosphere to relax and unwind, while overlooking the beautiful Atlantic Ocean (which is just steps away) that everyone will share their experiences with others that The Common Good Soup Kitchen so much more than just a soup kitchen.
"Thank you for your support"
Your generosity is greatly appreciated and it makes the continuation of our many programs possible.
This allows us to do what we do best and that is to humbly serve the residents of our
community during the long winter months here on Mount Desert Island.
~ Live, Laugh, Love ~
The Common Good Community Team
This allows us to do what we do best and that is to humbly serve the residents of our
community during the long winter months here on Mount Desert Island.
~ Live, Laugh, Love ~
The Common Good Community Team
