After the Tsunami struck southeast Asia in December 2004 creating unprecedented destruction, a group of Pilgrim Congregational Church members responded immediately by putting on a fundraiser of a simple meal of beans and rice and invited the wider community to attend just five days after the disaster. This spontaneous event was as successful in creating fellowship and fun as it was in raising funds for relief work.

It also led to the creation of a multi-faith, multi-cultural group of members and non-members of Pilgrim Congregational Church which is called Room at the Table. The church is ultimately responsible for the group's mission which is: to serve others by increasing awareness in the community about people in need locally, nationally, and globally; to mobilize people of all ages to reach out a helping hand; and to raise money through serving simple meals.

Several events have already been held, all of which follow a similar format. A simple meal is prepared from recipes indigenous to the specific area being benefited and the wider community is invited to come together to share the meal and to enjoy a time of fellowship. Entertainment which reflects the culture of the particular area being featured has included various musical groups, videos of the areas being helped, displays of hand made items, and craft projects and dance for the young children attending. There is always a spiritual (though non-denominational) component -- singing, candle lighting, readings -- which has proven to create an uplifting experience while raising money for a worthy cause. No admission fee is charged, but diners are invited to donate what they would spend if they were eating at a nice restaurant. People have been most generous; over $12,000 has been raised from the four events.

The first Room at the Table event was a fundraiser for an orphanage in Zimbabwe. Other gatherings raised money to build a 'Safe(r) House' for persons displaced in Sri Lanka. (Safe(r) houses are newly designed houses -- developed by an MIT-Harvard team -- that combine low-tech construction with high-tech design and are better able to withstand tsunamis.) Monies raised have also been used for school rebuilding and literacy programs for victims of the Pakistan earthquake, and closer to home, for those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. An upcoming fundraiser is for the North American Indian Center of Boston, Inc. which serves over 7,000 North American Indians within a 40 mile radius of Boston. Among other things it provides an extensive community health program and serves to preserve the Indian culture. A future event will raise funds for relief in the Darfur section of the Sudan.

Each dinner draws many different guests in addition to the regulars -- always more than half from the wider community.

"These dinners continue to be a wonderful way to form friendships between folks of different faiths and cultures and ages," said Kimball. "We believe we're all citizens of the world, and as such that we truly are our brothers' keepers. Since we always have Room at the Table (as our name states), we continue to invite the community to share in these opportunities."

The next Room at the Table event -- to benefit the North American Indians -- is scheduled for November 4, 2006. For more information, contact Pilgrim Congregational Church at (781) 862-0357.

Tell us how God is speaking in and through your church. Have you reached out to the community in unique ways? Initiated a new mission project? Found a new way to minister to those within the congregation? Share your story and help us to spread the good news! Contact Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane, Editor, at cochranem@macucc.org.

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