By Julie Summers

Special to the Islands’ Weekly

Every Tuesday for more than five years, Pat Meacham has picked up surplus food from Blossom Organic Grocery to stock Lopez Fresh, which helps feed dozens of local families and individuals each month.

“Somebody asked me to do it… it needed to be done,” Meacham said about her involvement with the fresh food bank project.

It’s volunteers like Meacham that Georgeana Cook, coordinator for the Lopez Island Prevention Coalition (LIPC), wants to celebrate at the 4th Annual Stone Soup Supper, Friday, Sept. 23, 6 p.m. at the Lopez Center fro Community and the Arts.

The Stone Soup Supper takes its name from a well-known folk story in which hungry travelers implore a community for food. Although reluctant at first, the villagers are intrigued when the travelers begin making “soup” by boiling stones in a pot of water. Each villager contributes a little and eventually everyone enjoys a bountiful stew. The story relates perfectly to Lopez, said Cook.

“That is often what we do here on Lopez…,” Cook said. “Everyone brings what they have and somehow we make it work.”

Another volunteer that “makes it work” is Donna Ince, who was taking yoga from Felicity Green when Green started a yoga class for seniors and dubbed it “Creaky Yoga.”

With over 25 years of experience as a yoga student, helping with the class seemed natural, said Ince.

Now taught by Corrie Haight, who also volunteers her time, the “by donation” class attracts over 30 seniors, ranging from age 50 to over 90, each week.

Ince enjoys volunteering in her areas of interest and knowledge because, she said, “I feel like that’s where I give the most.”

Volunteering is both particularly important and especially rewarding on Lopez, said both Ince and Meacham.

“[When we volunteer on Lopez],” said Meacham. “We’re helping our neighbors… there’s a face to the stories and the need that’s out there.”

Everybody participating is “part of the spirit of this community,” Ince said. “You don’t ever volunteer without getting back; it’s a trade-off. It does as much for me as I do for them ­— maybe more.”

It’s that collaborative, mutually beneficial spirit that Cook wants to celebrate at the Stone Soup Supper. One of the Coalition’s primary goals is to promote healthy community activities, she said.

“Bringing together volunteers from a wide variety of organizations gives us a chance to acknowledge each other’s efforts and also sets a positive example for our youth,” said Cook.

The event will also launch the LIPC’s initiative to recognize volunteer service in the Lopez community through the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

The LIPC and the Lopez Island Conservation Corps are certifying organizations and can help volunteers sign up, track their hours, and receive the award.

Cook said the idea came from her experience with the D.R.E.A.M. (Drug-Related Education and Advocacy Mentors) Team at the school. In one year, this group of ten students logged almost 1,500 service hours.

“I realized there must be hundreds of thousands of hours that come into our community,” said Cook. “It would be wonderful if we could capture those hours and celebrate those who serve. These two awards… are about pausing long enough to say thank you.”

For more info, contact the LIPC at 468.3770.

Julie Summers is an intern for the Lopez Island Prevention Coalition