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Give 12 Days of Joy from Family to Family through Open Table

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Sponsor a family or senior this holiday season by building a gift kit over the first 12 days of December. Each day that you add a new item, your family can discuss and learn more about food insecurity and how it may affect your neighbors. Follow us on social media or in your in-box to get information and reminders – or check back here!

Open Table is very excited to announce our the return of one of our most popular programs: our Family-to-Family Holiday Drive!

This year we again invite you to create a holiday gift bag for either a local family and/or a senior who may be struggling this year. Past donors have said:

  • “Our family is excited to help out this year and we hope our participation will become a new holiday tradition.”
  • “This is a great way for people to contribute. Thank you for letting us help.”
  • “Thank you for the opportunity to share my good fortune.”
  • “Love this project – looking forward to it!”
  • “Thanks for this opportunity. It makes our Christmas a happier one.”
  • “Thank you! This is the most meaningful activity my family does during the holidays!” 

You will be provided with a list of suggested items to fill a gift bag. And we will send reminders and other information each of the first 12 days of December. Please leave all items unwrapped; this will allow us to more easily give the bag to an appropriate individual or family.

Gift bags will be collected in Maynard (33 Main Street) on Friday, December 15, 2-6pm and in Concord (40 Beharrell Street) on Saturday, December 16, 10am-1pm. Clients will receive gift bags with the final food distribution of 2023.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to make the holidays more meaningful not only for the families who rely on Open Table, but for your family, too.

If you have any questions about this program, please contact the coordinator, Carolyn, at ccoffin@opentable.org

or visit Open Table

New to town, new parents or just want some new experiences?

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The good news is you’re in the right place…

Concord has numerous clubs and organizations that offers a wide variety of experiences and opportunities to meet people, get involved, learn new things, be active and intellectually stimulated!

 

New (or new in last few years) to Concord-Carlisle area? Consider signing up for Concord Carlisle Neighbors Club. Concord-Carlisle Neighbors is a social organization whose membership welcomes new families moving into these towns.  CCN provides social support and planned activities to help individuals and families adjust and feel part of life in their new environment. CCN also connects long term residents with each other to strengthen the community network. They host all sorts of events – something geared for every age.

 

Are you new to Concord with young kids or a new parent living in Concord? Concord Family Network is a non-profit, volunteer-run group of local parents, based in Concord, Massachusetts working to unite, inform, and engage local families with young children (birth-6 years).  CFN organizes many opportunities for member families to connect and have fun in a safe environment throughout the year from hosting casual parent and child events, meetups, and parties, to partnering with other location organizations and doing community outreach. 

 

Maybe you’re not new to town but interested in meeting new people or trying new things? Pursue your interests or learn something new!

Joining a local riding club is a great way to enjoy the best cycling the region has to offer.  Check out this riding club that is based here in Concord!

Concord Runners is an informal group of (men and women) runners and walkers, who meet every Saturday morning at 8:00am at Monument Square in downtown Concord, MA.  (map) The runs are typically 5-6 miles; the walks are generally 2-4 miles.

Pickleball – learn to play with other adults!

Love gardening or want to learn more? Look into Concord Garden Club and West Concord Green Thumbs.  How about joining a community garden?

Concord Rotary Club

Concord Lions Club

Concord Council on Aging 

Do you know about Monday Contras: Dancing at the Scout House

The Thoreau Society

How about signing up to usher a show at The Umbrella?

Learn about book groups and discussions at Concord Library!

Take a class… so many to choose from in town – something for every interest and age:

Concord Art

Concord-Carlisle Adult Community Education

Concord Conservatory of Music

Concord Recreation

Umbrella Arts

Attend a speaker event or workshop:

 

Concord Museum

Concord Public Library

Walden Woods Project

Here are some organizations that offer activities & classes for kids:

 

Concord-Carlisle Youth Football

Concord-Carlisle Youth Soccer

Concord Youth Baseball / Softball

Concord Carlisle Youth Basketball

Concord Carlisle Youth Lacrosse

Concord Carlisle Youth Hockey

Concord Winter Futsal

Girl Scouts

Concord Public Library

Concord Recreation

Concord Youth Theater

Umbrella Arts

National Charity League

 

Volunteering is a great way to connect to the community and meet some people. Here is a list of local organizations to get you started:

Art for All

Community for Restorative Justice

Concord CAN (Climate Action Network)

Concord-Carlisle Community Chest

Concord Education Fund

Concord Family Network

Concord Land Conservation Trust

Concord Museum

Concord Players

Concord Prison Outreach

Concord Public Library

Cooperative Elder Services

Council on Aging

Dignity in Asylum

Emerson Hospital Auxiliary

Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

Gaining Ground

Household Goods

Minute Man ARC

National Charity League 

OARS

Open Table 

Rotary Club of Concord

The Umbrella Arts

Town of Concord Board and Committees

Village Art Room

The Walden Woods Project

West Concord Green Thumbs

Youth Sports

Want to get the lay of the land? Or take houseguests on a tour?

Check out the terrific tours offered by The Concord Visitor Center and Concord Tour Company

 

Open Table’s 12 Days of Giving: Family to Family

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Family-to-Family 2021

We are delighted announce the return of our Family-to-Family Holiday program. And we want to invite you to join Open Table this year in creating a gift kit for either a family or a senior or both! Once again, there will be a list of suggested items and reminders sent out for each of the first 12 days of December.

Gift bags will be collected in Maynard and Concord during the weekend of December 17 and 18 and given to our clients with their final food distribution of 2021. Please pack your 12 days of giving in either a sturdy paper grocery bag or a reusable grocery bag.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to make the holidays more meaningful not only for the families who rely on Open Table, but for your family, too.

You can sign up to make a kit at opentable.org/family-to-family, or contact Carolyn at ccoffin@opentable.org.

Register

2 wonderful ways to support a family in need

 

Open Table: Immediate Need for Donations & Volunteers for Afghan Evacuees

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Open Table is looking for immediate donations – here is what is needed for Afghan families:

DONATIONS MAY BE LEFT IN BINS at 40 BEHARRELL STREET pantry in WEST CONCORD at any time.

apple cider vinegar

10 lb bag of basmati rice (medium or short grained only)

baking power

baking soda

packets of dry yeast

10 lb bags of unbleached all purpose flour

loose leaf green tea

loose leaf black tea

raw almonds

raw pistachios (in the shells)

honey

jams

beans: dry red beans, dry garbanzo beans (2 lb bags dry)

box of golden raisins – not small but 8 oz or larger

spices:  hot pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cardamom, cardamom pods, poppy seeds

nigella seeds, black sesame seeds and white sesame seeds

4 pound bag of sugar

dishwashing soap

 

 

DONATIONS MAY BE LEFT IN BINS at 40 BEHARRELL STREET in WEST CONCORD at any time.

 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

We are looking for a volunteer to shop on Tuesday mornings to get the fresh food – will require driving to Needham  – Restaurant Depot and possibly the Indian market in Acton.  We will be supporting this effort for (2) months until all Afghan families are placed.  After the families will be connected to local food relief organizations and also to SNAP.  Open Table is also supporting many local families that have been settled here.

If you can help, please reach out to volunteer@opentable.org

Thank you!

 

 

 

Concord-Carlisle Food Resources

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Volunteer & Support Opportunities @ Concord

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Center for Parents and Teachers

Community for Restorative Justice

Concord CAN (Climate Action Network)

Concord-Carlisle Community Chest

Concord Education Fund

Concord Family Network

Concord Garden Club

Concord Land Conservation Trust

Concord Museum

Concord Players

Concord Prison Outreach

Concord Public Library

Cooperative Elder Services

Council on Aging

Dignity in Asylum

Emerson Hospital Auxiliary

Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

Gaining Ground

Household Goods

Minute Man ARC

The Nature Connection

OARS

Open Table 

Rotary Club of Concord

The Umbrella Arts

Town of Concord Board and Committees

Village Art Room

The Walden Woods Project

West Concord Green Thumbs

Youth Sports

Open Table Family-to-Family Food Drive is a big success!

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Open Table sent out update on the Family-to-Family Food Drive:

Holiday Drive a Huge Success

 

We all know the holidays can be difficult when money is tight, and this year even more so. People are out of work, families unable to gather. So our Family-to-Family Holiday project was particularly timely. More than 330 families and organizations filled holiday bags for guest families, putting cozy items like hats, gloves and plush throws with family fun night items and baking supplies, in addition to other groceries. Many items are things that don’t usually go in our grocery bags, but that make the holidays so much sweeter.

 

We never expected to get enough donor families to fill bags for every single household we serve, but you all came through, in a big way. Connecting donor families to guest families is a reminder to our guests that their community cares about them. And that’s an important message for them to hear anytime, and especially around the holidays.

 

The bags will be distributed over the next two weeks.

 

 

 

Open Table did a phenomenal job with this Family-to-Family Food Drive, using a creative list of 12 Days to Give. Over 330 families & organizations enjoyed gathering their items throughout the 12 day period then delivering to the Maynard and Crosby’s location earlier this week.

 

Here are some photos…

 

Feel Good Friday

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It’s been a tough week, so many unknowns and so much bad news pouring in  – it’s difficult not to get overwhelmed by it.

So, we’d like to fill your head with some good highlights from the past week. Our community is strong and coming together to answer immediate needs, helping  each other and proving to be creative problem solvers.

Thank you to Emerson Hospital employees for your dedication & hard work. We are grateful to all of you!

Christine Schuster, President & Ceo of Emerson Hospital sent this today:

Our team is working around the clock to manage this unprecedented challenge. They are navigating this situation with careful planning and a relentless commitment to our community. 

Our Emerson Hospital Heroes – nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, environmental services, and all staff have stepped up in every way. They confront the COVID‑19 pandemic each day, worried about the future, the health of their patients, their families, and themselves.

In order to continue to fight this battle we need critical equipment and supplies. Your support has never been more important and will save lives!

Keep our Emerson Hospital Heroes and community safe. Your donation in any amount will help Emerson to:
• Acquire additional respiratory equipment
• Obtain medical-grade personal protective gear
• Outfit areas of our hospital to increase patient capacity
• Support our financial stability while elective procedures and treatments have been postponed in order to keep patients safe.

With your support, we can focus our energy on caring for our community. We will emerge from this crisis much stronger together.

Thank you for your support!

 

Thank you to the volunteers who answered the call for homemade masks and starting sewing! A number of Concord & Carlisle residents have been busy gathering supplies, cutting material and sewing masks for Emerson Hospital and other medical facilities in the area.

Thank you to Open Table and those who have donated time and food to make this an even more valuable resource in our community. They are continuing to accept donations at their bins at Crosby’s Market behind the 105 Everett Street building.

Thank you to the Concord-Carlisle Community Chest for working hard to rally support and donations for the W.I.N. Fund (When in Need Fund) with The Driveway Project.

Kate Eden Renyi Photography is launching #thedrivewayproject in hopes to raise local support within the Concord and Carlisle communities during the COVID-19 crisis.

Donate a minimum of $50 to the Concord-Carlisle Community Chest’s WIN (When In Need) Fund – please designate The Driveway Project (WIN Fund) – that helps Concord and Carlisle individuals and families with unexpected or emergency expenses, and Kate will show up at your driveway and take a professional lifestyle photograph documenting this unique time. Thinking outside the box and social distancing attire encouraged!

Thank you to Superintendent Dr. Laurie  Hunter and staff / administration who have been excellent communicators and working hard to bring classrooms online, keeping our kids stimulated and connected while keeping parents well informed.

Thank you to our local merchants for finding creative ways to sell and deliver your goods / services!

Here is the Friday promotion that Farfalle Market, Copper Penny Flowers, Revolutionary Concord and Concord Teacakes offered for a Fun Family Friday. The package included pasta dinner and garlic bread from Farfalle, cupcakes form Concord Teacakes, a fun puzzle from Revolutionary Concord and a gorgeous arrangement from Copper Penny Flowers.

Be sure to see what other local merchants & restaurants / cafes are doing with take out options, curbside pickups and deliveries.

Thank you to ThinkGive for launching the Community Challenge – sign up now!

Thank you to The Center for Parents and Teachers for moving important speaker events online so we can call be informed and get access to these wonderful speakers.

Thanks for tuning in to LivingConcordour new weekly podcast, reading our newsletters, liking posts, following us on social media and sending us important information that we can share with the community.

 

Be well.

 

 

 

 

 

Events

Open Table’s Chopped for Charity 2024

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Join us at Chopped for Charity 2024, Open Table’s annual gala and cooking competition. TV and radio personality Chef Joe Gatto returns as our Master of Ceremonies!

DATE: Friday, May 3, 2024
TIME: VIP Reception 5:30pm; General Admission 6:00pm
VENUE: Nashawtuc Country Club, Concord

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!

Chopped for Charity 2024 will feature three professional chefs competing in a culinary showdown. The evening will include dinner, silent and live auctions, and engaging activities. Additionally, VIP ticket holders will be treated to a mixology competition featuring local bartenders competing to craft the perfect drink.

We are delighted to honor James Crosby and Crosby’s Marketplace for their many years of dedication and commitment to Open Table’s mission.

This year marks Open Table’s 35th Anniversary. Celebrate with us at Chopped for Charity and support our mission to end hunger in our local community by providing healthy food in ways that respect the dignity and diversity of those served.

 

Details from Chopped 2023

VIP Reception and Mixology Competition

Cocktail ingredients

Purchase VIP tickets and upgrade your night! Meet the chefs, peek behind the scenes, and experience a mixology competition.

VIPs will enjoy:

  • A private cocktail reception with Chopped for Charity competitors (reception starts at 5:30pm)
  • Mixology competition featuring local bartenders competing to craft the perfect drink
  • Preferred seating at the main event
  • Complimentary cocktail
  • Swag bag, including items from mixology sponsor, Tito’s Handmade Vodka

Your VIP ticket purchase will provide additional support for Open Table’s food programs and help spread even More Love, Less Hunger.

Mixology Competition Sample

The Competition – Meet the Chefs

Three acclaimed local chefs will take center kitchen as competitors at this year’s Chopped for Charity gala. The Chefs will compete in a fast-paced cooking challenge before an expert panel of judges. How will they use the secret ingredients and how will they handle the pressure? Can’t wait to find out!

Chef Viviana Acevedo

Chef Viviana Duque

Executive Chef and Owner
Panela Restaurant

Chef Viviana Duque is a distinguished Executive chef and owner of Panela Restaurant in Lowell, MA. Born and raised in Medellin Colombia, Chef Viviana embarked on a journey to the city of Lowell at the age of 15 where she has lived all her adult years. She is a Le Cordon Bleu alumna with a rich background in high-end restaurants. Fueled by passion and family support, Chef Viviana envisioned Panela as her dream of showcasing the diversity of Colombian cuisine inspired by various regions, all featuring panela as a key ingredient.

Chef Jon Gilman

Chef Jonathan Gilman

Executive Chef
True West Brewery

Jonathan Gilman has been professionally cooking creative comfort foods in a scratch kitchen for over 15 years.  He began his career at the Cambridge Brewing Company in Cambridge, and went on to open his own restaurant, called Brato Brewhouse and Kitchen, in 2019.  After having some success, and winning a Best of Boston award in 2021, this endeavor eventually had to close due to financial constraints brought on through COVID.  Today, Jon lives near Acton and looks to make an impact on his new community in his role as Executive Chef at True West Brewing Company.

Chef Jason Jernigan

Chef Jason Jernigan

Chef Owner, Chef Style Boston
Svenfish Chef Collaborator

Born in Portsmouth, VA, Chef Jason Jernigan’s culinary passion ignited from simple family meals and seasonal gardening with his parents and grandparents. After completing his Air Force service and working in the field of microbiology, he completed his formal training at Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and Boston University, eventually finding his full passion in Mediterranean flavors. As a private chef and consultant, he shares his passion through immersive classes and innovative menus, blending tradition with innovation. He believes in the power of food to unite and heal, striving for perfection and meaningful connections.

The Judges

Sarah Blackburn

Sarah Blackburn

Publisher
Edible Boston and Edible Worcester

Sarah is the editor-in-chief, co-owner and publisher of Edible Boston and Edible Worcester. With extensive knowledge of the local food community, Sarah has a deep interest in sustainable living, kitchen gardening and home cooking and sharing her passion for both. She lives in Wayland with her husband, two teenagers, and a rambunctious bird dog. 

Jeanine Calabria

Jeanine Calabria

Author, Former Open Table Executive Director
The Taste of Stories: Cornfields and Olive Groves, a Family Heritage Cookbook

Jeanine Calabria has extensive non-profit leadership experience – most recently as the Executive Director of Open Table. She is professionally trained in intercultural management and has a deep passion for cooking that brings all people to the table. Jeanine started her career working as a pastry chef at a French restaurant only to find herself again in the kitchen while at the helm for more than a decade at Open Table. Jeanine has recently combined her writing and cooking skills in her personal life to publish a memoir cookbook, The Taste of Stories. Food relief has been her focus in the recent past, but the common theme throughout her career has been welcoming and assisting culturally diverse populations to have the most successful transition possible.

Who Could it Be?

You

Auction Winner

Three food experts will be seated at the judges’ table – and one of them could be YOU! Before the competition heats up, we will be auctioning off a judgeship. One lucky winner will have the opportunity to taste the chefs’ creations and cast their vote. If you’ve always wanted to show off your tasting skills and critique top chefs, get ready to bid on this highly coveted spot!

The Master of Ceremonies

Chef Joe Gatto

Chef, TV Host
Chef Joe Gatto

Chef Joe Gatto is a charismatic culinary expert who hosts the popular cooking show “From Scratch” on Pluto TV. He is a well-known private chef who serves A-list clients, including Celtics and Red Sox players. His NPR cooking segment, which airs monthly, has garnered a loyal fanbase, as has his national cookbook, “Seriously From Scratch.” Chef Joe is acclaimed for his immense passion for cooking, outstanding culinary creations, and his ability to bring people together with food and humor.

Honoring

Jim Crosby of Crosby's Market

James Crosby and Crosby’s Marketplace

Jim Crosby worked his way through Northeastern University on the 5-year co-op plan with the Star Market Company. After graduation, he was promoted to Store Manager, Grocery Merchandiser, Seafood/Deli Merchandiser, Employment Manger and ultimately Director of Operations for 31 stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Later, Jim earned a Master’s Degree in Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Babson College.

In 1980, Star Market sold off its smaller locations, including the Concord store on Lowell Road, which Jim and his wife Pat purchased. In 1997, Stop & Shop decided to leave Concord, and that presented the opportunity to better serve the community with a larger facility. Today Crosby’s operates 7 locations: Concord, Georgetown, Hamilton, Salem, Marblehead, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Henry’s Fine Foods in Beverly. Crosby’s employs an excellent staff of 525 people, 20% of which have 10 years or more of service with the company.

Under Jim’s direction, the company has always been involved in the fight against food insecurity. In addition to their support of Open Table, Crosby’s works with Lifebridge in Salem, Beverly Bootstraps, and the Greater Boston Food Bank. Jim has expressed his commitment to helping those in need: “It’s hard to believe that so many people go to bed hungry in a country like this, it’s incredible. Especially children.” For decades of community service, Jim was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Humane Letters for Philanthropy from Salem State University in 2011.

Jim was married to Pat, his high school sweetheart and love of his life, for 58 years. Pat passed away in 2022 of Alzheimer’s. They were blessed with 5 children and 10 grandchildren. All of their children worked in the business at one time or another. Today his son Chris is the President and CEO, and his daughter Terri is a Store Manager.