In the 11th year of Grady Britton’s annual grant, we selected two local nonprofits to receive $25,000 in-kind marketing and branding expertise and 150 volunteer hours. MESO is this year’s marketing grant winner, and Brown Hope is this year’s volunteer grant winner! Given the incredible organization we had the chance to speak with, we also want to recognize a few other candidates for this year’s grants, one of which is Stone Soup.
Stone Soup is a local non-profit food service training enterprise that provides hands-on culinary training and workforce development to individuals at risk of homelessness.
Through Stone Soup, Rinot and Craig Gerard have developed four areas of focus to support the Portland community as part of a larger 12-week course. Participants learn culinary skills and customer service, and receive a robust professional development education. After finishing the 12-week program, all graduates enter the job placement network, which provides participants with opportunities for job interviews and job placements. At the end of 2020, 55% of Stone Soup participants secured full-time jobs after completing the program.
Although Stone Soup started in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic played a big role in the development of the business by providing opportunities to serve the Portland community on a more consistent basis. Altogether, Stone Soup has contributed more than 47,000 meals directly and raised upwards of $179,000 in grants and donations in 2020.
While we wish we could have worked with everyone this year, we hope others will find inspiration in these nonprofits’ missions, too. Read more about how to help Stone Soup, and learn more about our other grant candidates: Equitable Giving Circle, Impact NW and Portland Fruit Tree Project.
Feature photo credit: Joshua Chang, Foundry 503