About Common Table

A neighborhood that shows up.

Common Table started in 2009 with one pot of chili in a church kitchen on Alder Street. Today we feed 3,000 Northside families a year from three locations.

Our mission

Why we're here.

No one on the Northside should have to choose between rent and groceries. We exist so they don't have to.

For a lot of families here, one missed shift or one surprise bill is the difference between a full fridge and an empty one. Most never planned on needing a food pantry. Plenty of them now volunteer in ours.

We started in a church kitchen because a few members believed feeding hungry neighbors wasn't a side project of their faith. It was the point. That conviction still sets the table, and everyone is welcome at it, whatever they believe.

So we run it like a neighbor's kitchen, not a charity line. We stock what families ask for, greet people by name, and never make anyone prove they're hungry.

Our promise

“Come as you are. Leave with what you need. Come back next week and we'll save you a seat.”

The Common Table board2009

2025 in numbers

What one year looks like.

148k
Meals shared

Pantry groceries and Thursday dinners, counted by hand at the front desk.

3,012
Families served

Up 22% from 2024.

0
Forms to fill out

Your first visit is no questions asked. After that, it's just your household size.

Our story

From one pot of chili to three locations.

It started in 2009 with two folding tables in a church kitchen on Alder Street. Here's how it grew.

The first dinner

2009

Eleven people, one pot of chili, two folding tables in the church kitchen.

The pantry opens

2014

Groceries five days a week in the old church hall.

No more forms

2017

We drop the intake paperwork. Visits rise 40%.

Three locations

2026

Eastgate and Riverside join Alder Street.

Our team

The people who set the table.

Four staff, 340 volunteers, and one very old industrial oven.

Marcus Reed

Marcus Reed

Executive director

Keeps the partners close, the budget honest, and the Thursday line moving.

Grace Lin

Grace Lin

Pantry manager

First came as a guest in 2017. Now she runs the shelves and knows what every family is out of.

Tom Hadley

Tom Hadley

Garden lead

Runs the Alder Street garden, April through October, with a crew of kids who think vegetables start there.

Sofía Ramos

Sofía Ramos

Volunteer coordinator

Matches 340 volunteers to jobs they'll love. Call about volunteering and she's the one who answers.

In their words

Why neighbors keep coming back.

Denise W.

Guest since 2021

I came in embarrassed and left with groceries, a recipe, and someone who knew my name. Nobody asked me to explain myself.

James and Kira P.

Thursday dinner regulars

We started coming for the food. Now Thursday is the one night the whole family eats at the same table.

Luis M.

Guest turned volunteer

Two winters ago I was in the pantry line. Now I stock the shelves on Saturdays. Same room, same people, different side of the table.

Partners

The businesses and congregations behind every meal.

Want your team on this wall? Partners fund a month of dinners or send a Saturday crew. Email us about partnering.

Your seat is already saved.

Come to Thursday dinner once. That's all we ask. You'll know what to do after that.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

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