GREENFIELD — In recognition of Volunteer Appreciation Month, volunteers are giving back by organizing a fundraising campaign to support Stone Soup Café.
The goal is to crowdfund at least 250 individual donations, unlocking a $10,000 gift from a group of donors. All donations to the campaign will support weekly pay-what-you-can meals, groceries and community programming in Greenfield.
With 516 volunteers contributing 9,764 hours in 2025, Stone Soup Café, which operates out of All Souls Church at 399 Main St., is sustained by a large community of people who cook, serve and deliver meals every week. A total of 35,248 meals were served in 2025.
“Volunteers are the heart of Stone Soup Café. This place is built on people choosing to care for one another, and this campaign makes that visible,” Mike Phillips, board president and an organizer of the fundraiser, said in a statement. “I hope that anyone who has ever volunteered at the café finds a way to take part in this fundraiser by sharing what they love about the café or inviting someone else to give in their honor.”
The campaign, which will continue through April 30, invites participation in multiple ways: making a gift, encouraging others to contribute or sharing a personal story about why Stone Soup Café matters. Phillips, who has been volunteering with Stone Soup Café for more than five years, hopes to raise $1,000 through his personal campaign page.
In the past year, 346 new volunteers joined the café, alongside 170 returning volunteers. The work of this growing network of people who are invested in an equitable local food system is supported by 1,105 donors, who provide nearly half of the organization’s $680,800 annual budget, demonstrating a broad base of community investment.
“Being new to the area, I began volunteering during COVID as a way to meet people while giving back to the community,” Mara Kohls, another organizer of the fundraiser and a Stone Soup Café board member, said in a statement. “My time spent during the 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning shift fills my soul, and I make recurring monthly donations to give back for all that I receive each and every week.”
The $10,000 gift will be released in portions at key milestones in the campaign.
“These donors want their support to encourage broad participation and reflect how Stone Soup Café actually works,” Stone Soup Café Development Director Jansyn Thaw, who helped secure the challenge grant from a small group of donors, said in a statement. “The café is sustained by all of us together, not just a few of us alone.”
Residents can support the campaign by making a donation, sharing a volunteer’s story or learning more about how to get involved at givebutter.com/volunteer-fundraising.