Helping the Hungry
One Morsel at a Time,
Stone Soup Serves
Compassion and Caring.
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Inspired by a children's story, Stone Soup is a way of saving the
tidbits of food that would normally have been thrown out as useless,
and combining them into a hearty soup which is then donated to the
poor and hungry.
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| Eliot Fiks (right) and Stacey Gould,
partners at Whole in the Wall Restaurant in Binghamton, prepare a
batch of Stone Soup. |
Stone Soup represents a new concept in food donation unlike any
others. Many food service establishments donate food, this food
being leftovers. Every time a vegetable is cut there is mint quality
usable food on the end. This untapped food source is the basis for
Stone Soup.
Eliot Fiks of Binghamton's Whole in the Wall restaurant began this
program in October of 1995 and has been encouraging other local
establishments to join in since. Each week Fiks' saves up those bits of
food from his restaurant that couldn't be used and freezes them in
small containers. At the end of the week he combines the bits into a
soup base with crushed tomatoes, barley, pasta, spices and a little
parmesan cheese.
The finished soup is then usually picked up by the Salvation Army,
who then serve it at the free evening meal they put on every Thursday
through Monday at their shelter on Washington Street in Binghamton.
"It always goes fast," said DiAnn Small, community services
director at the Salvation Army in Binghamton, describing the reception
Stone Soup has received at the Salvation Army's free evening dinner.
In 1999 Whole in the Wall won a
National Humanitarian Award for their Stone Soup project.
The long range goal is to get restaurants nationwide making Stone
Soup. This is a project that is
readily accomplished by any restaurant. Locally Stone Soup is
also being made by United Health Service hospital's food service (Sodexho).
The Story of Stone Soup
Charles
Scribner's Sons published this story, as told and illustrated by
Marsha Brown, in 1947:
Three hungry soldiers are returning from war. Stopping in a
village, they ask the villagers for food. Having seen them
coming, the villagers have hidden everything. They tell the
soldiers their cupboards are bare.
"Then we'll make stone soup," the soldiers proclaim. They set a
big pot to boil, then place three round stones in the bottom.
Intrigued, the villagers gather around.
"Stones like these will make good soup," says one soldier, "But,
oh, if there were carrots, it would be much better."
"Why, I think I have a carrot or two," says one villager, who
runs off, only to return with an apron filled with carrots.
One
by one, the soldiers name ingredients that would make their soup
even better. One by one, the villagers produce them, until a
delicious soup has been made. |
How You Can Help
Restaurant owners who would like to make Stone Soup can obtain
information by calling Eliot Fiks at (607) 722-0006. All food must come from a certified establishment.
Other Links Of Interest:
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