From church volunteers to a community table: The Shared Plate enters a new chapter

More than a decade ago, a group of women from the United Methodist Church in Palm Springs had a simple idea: make sandwiches and bring them to people experiencing homelessness in the park.

On Thursday afternoon, that grassroots effort reached a milestone as The Shared Plate officially launched as an independent California nonprofit organization, celebrating its transformation at the church’s Fellowship Hall off East Alejo Road with Palm Springs Mayor Naomi Soto and community members.

“At the shared plate, we do more than feed people,” said Ric Hawkins, speaking on behalf of the organization’s board of directors during brief remarks. “We are building a community table where everyone has a seat,”

The journey from church volunteers making sandwiches to serving 35,000 meals last year reflects both growing need and expanding compassion. During the pandemic, the program adapted by passing hot soup through the kitchen window, maintaining its commitment to feed the hungry even when gathering wasn’t possible.

Hawkins acknowledged the church for starting the program and Pastor Jane Voigts for continuing support as the organization has expanded. Becoming an independent nonprofit opens doors to grants and donations not available to religious organizations.

“We’re doing this so that we can expand our reach to the community,” Hawkins said.

What sets The Shared Plate apart is its philosophy of dignity. Similar to Well in the Desert, which also serves meals at the church during the week, the organization operates entirely with volunteers, ensuring every donated penny goes directly to those served. But more than that, it reimagines how food assistance can look.

“Whoever walks through those doors is treated like a guest in our home. We speak to them by name. We don’t have them stand in lines. They sit at tables, and we serve them restaurant style,” Hawkins said. “They’re invited to eat as much as they like. No one leaves the shared plate hungry.”

The organization also provides clean clothing and personal hygiene products alongside meals.

For Soto, the mission resonated deeply with her own family history.

“I am a child of immigrants, and we had a big family, and the joke was we never knew how many people were coming over for dinner. You just made a lot,” she said. “Sometimes it was neighbors, and sometimes it was somebody from our church, and sometimes it was a stranger, but I think about that table so much and what it means to share a meal with someone and to share what you have.”

The mayor connected the organization’s approach to broader community values.

“Sharing a table is how you build community,” Soto said. “Everyone deserves a good meal. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.”

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More information: Those interested in volunteering or making donations can visit thesharedplate.org.

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