Sometimes, while caught up in the beauty and creativity of cooking and entertaining, it’s easy to forget that not everyone can buy whatever they want to eat, or throw a party without giving a thought to whether they can afford it. Even when I was growing up and our family means were modest, we never lacked for food. One of the advantages of living on a farm was that we could grow enough vegetables to feed ourselves, and my father and uncles always had day jobs to support our families, in addition to working the farm.

Not everyone is so lucky. It may seem frivolous to write about cakes and menucards and flowers, but one of the purposes of this blog is to illuminate the value of hospitality. The root of hospitality is kindness, and we all have a responsibility to be kind to each other. It’s not a burden, because it feels good to be kind.

This brings me to So Other Might Eat (SOME), an organization in Washington that provides food, clothing and healthcare to the poor, the elderly and the mentally ill. Their goal is to restore hope and dignity one person at a time, through their meal service, temporary housing, clothing, job training, addiction treatment and counseling. There are places like SOME all over the US, tackling the thorny problems that thrust people into homelessness.

It’s not just adults who are homeless. SOME does a brisk business handing out diapers and baby food, school clothes and winter coats. And what a blessing it is to be able to be the giver, rather than the recipient, of this help.

Thankfully, there are food banks and homeless shelters all over the country. Why not do something kind today and see how you might make a donation or volunteer to help out at a homeless shelter?

Below are some photos from a typical lunch served and cooked by volunteers at So Others Might Eat. The meals are substantial, balanced and well-cooked. The menu was baked fish with tartar sauce, brown rice with greens, green beans, raw peppers, corn bread, and cupcakes.