Commonly known as SOME, So Others Might Eat is an interfaith community-based organization based in Washington, D.C. that has long partnered with Stone Ridge. SOME has been operating to serve the poor, hungry, and homeless of Washington for over 30 years. Each Social Action Wednesday, a group of eight Stone Ridge girls make the trip down to North West D.C. to help SOME with their mission. What some people in the Stone Ridge community might not realize is that SOME does not just serve food to its clients. They provide meals, clothing, and healthcare as well as affordable housing, job training, and counseling to the poor and marginalized in Washington D.C.
The community-based aspect bodes very well with the Stone Ridge philosophy of building community and as Kendra Jobe (’12) mentions, “they don’t turn anyone away and do their best to accommodate everyone.” SOME brings together the Stone Ridge girls and the wider community. Jamiee Shim (’11) says that her favorite part about going to SOME is “just seeing the people come through, and seeing all the Stone Ridge girls come together as a team to serve these people.” The staff and seasoned volunteers at SOME serve with a positive attitude, always creating a welcoming atmosphere that one instantly feels upon walking in the front door.
The Stone Ridge girls start off their day of service by prepping the food and dining room for the hundreds of clients that will walk in the doors at lunch time. Some of the tasks they are assigned include cutting loaves of bread, sorting cookies, and setting the table. While these may not seem like very daunting tasks, when faced with a dining room serving hundreds of clients it truly takes a team effort to finish in time for lunch.
As the guests begin to come in, the girls get to work setting up an assembly line to serve the food, clean up afterwards, and reset the tables for the next wave of cliental. When asked what she likes about her time at SOME, Sue Gosh (’12) responds, “I like being able to talk to [the clients] and see how thankful they really are. Their smiles brighten up your day.” With positive attitudes and hard worth ethics, this group of Stone Ridge girls helps to make SOME the successful organization that it is.
