It's not really about the plates.

Street Chef's dinner on T.O.P. plate

Although the mission of Take Out Project is “building community through handmade ceramics,” the ceramics have taken a backseat and the community is driving the car.  I think this is great.  The potlucks are about good food and good company.  The plates are just holding the food.

Last week Take Out Project teamed up with Street Chefs, a local food truck/catering business to cook and serve a meal to 10 residents of Chelsea House, a transitional house for homeless women in Tallahassee.  We spent about three hours with these ladies, learning about their journeys and wishing them the best for the future.  Street Chefs put together an amazing menu of Stuffed Chicken Breast, Smashed Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Spring Greens Salad, Roasted Veggies and for dessert, Crème Brulee.

So what did I learn from this experience?  I learned that these women are grateful when they are able to eat fresh vegetables and meat because usually the food/meal donations consist of mostly non-perishable items such as pasta and canned goods.  I was reminded what I already knew, homelessness can be caused by a single life event or a whole lifetime of circumstances that eventually lead to this place of temporary (hopefully) uncertainty.  I was also reminded that sometimes those of us who have a roof over our heads can be pretty crappy.

One young woman shared her story with us and I can’t stop thinking about her, days later.  I won’t recall her story here for privacy reasons but one thing she said really struck a chord with me and I want to share that with you.    After a short lifetime of events that left her alone in a new city, this 18 year old told us through tears that a week earlier, she finally broke down and sat on a curb and sobbed.  She had told us about some pretty heart-wrenching life events but what she said next almost brought me to my knees.

  “I sat there on that curb and cried and people just kept walking by me and nobody even asked me if I was okay.  It was like they didn’t even care.”

Shame on us.  Shame on us Tallahassee.  Shame on us world.  She wasn’t asking for money or food.  She just wanted someone to acknowledge her existence in the world and we totally let her down.  Despite all the hurts that she talked about coming from friends, boyfriends and parents, she cried the hardest when she recalled her realization that the world just didn’t care about her.  This made me sick to my stomach.

So, when I talk about Take Out Project building community, what do I mean?  I mean renewing old friendships or getting to know someone you haven’t met before.  I want you to feel connected to other human beings in your community, your neighborhood and your world.  Homeless people exist in our community and although our goal on Friday night was to make a really special meal and serve it off of handmade dishes, you don’t have to go all out to connect with someone. 

What do I expect you to do? 

I expect you to know your surroundings.  Did you know that Tallahassee has a number that you can call to get referrals for all kinds of social services?  It’s 211 Big Bend (just dial 211).  There is a trained hotline counselor available to give out phone numbers or referrals or give you further advice on where to turn.  So, if you saw a teenage girl sitting on a curb, crying you could ask her if she’s okay and then offer to make a phone call for her.  I have used this service and it was extremely helpful.

I expect you to treat people with respect.  If you don’t want to give money to someone you don’t know, that’s okay.  Buy someone a bottle of water when they are outside in the summer heat.  Offer to buy someone a sandwich, and then ask him or her what kind of sandwich he or she would like.   This is huge!  I did this a couple of years ago and when I asked the man what he wanted to drink he looked at me as if he couldn’t believe I was letting him choose for himself.  Give someone a little bit of dignity back by allowing them to have control over whether their tea is sweet or unsweet.

I expect you to make eye contact with people and hold doors open and smile at someone once in a while.  And if you have a little money left over at the end of the month, call your local shelter and ask them if you can drop off some fresh produce and maybe a gift card so they can buy some meat. 

I expect you to stop judging and assuming that you know why people are homeless.  If you really want to know, go and volunteer at a shelter and let someone tell you his or her story.  You might find that it’s not too far off from your own.

-julie

What's the deal with this whole Take Out Project thingy?

It’s been really great getting to talk to so many people about Take Out Project in the past few months.  As I have mentioned, our goal is to build community through handmade ceramics.  Well, what the heck does that mean!?  That’s what most people want to know, right?

It means a lot of things to me.  First and foremost, I wanted a way to share what I love to do with other people.  I make functional ceramics or pottery.  That means I spend my days hand making ceramic dishes that you can use in your home and eat off of and drink out of.    I realize that not everyone can afford to have an entire cupboard of handmade dishes so I devised a way for you to use a handmade dish on loan for a short period of time.  (No strings attached.)

This might mean that you attend one of our Take Out Project potlucks and eat off of a handmade plate.  Did you hear that we’re bringing back the potluck?? Or maybe you would like to enjoy a free cup of Lucky Goat Coffee out of a handmade ceramic mug.  You are welcome to stop by one of our “Pop-Up-Coffee Shops” and meet some new people and sip away.  (Free of charge.)

Which brings me to the next reason I created Take Out Project.  I want to encourage people to interact with other people in their community face to face.  We’re all connected through the computer or by text message but when was the last time you sat down at a table and really got to know someone over a fabulous meal?  We want to know you.  (Not your wallet.)

A few people have been asking me, “But what’s the catch?”  I know it may make some of you uncomfortable but I really don’t want anything from you.  Except your company and your willingness to share our mission and tell others about what Take Out Project is all about.  We are about good people, food, drink and handmade ceramic dishes.  Pure and simple.  We just want you to think about those things. 

This project in no way funnels any money into my own small business.  Think of it just like you would a community service project that you volunteer for on the weekend outside of your regular job.  Let’s say you help out with Habitat for Humanity building houses.  Does your 9-5 job get any direct benefit from that?  Probably not.  You certainly don’t see an extra pay check from it.  It’s the same thing for me.  It’s just that my job happens to be as a ceramic artist working for myself.  This is why none of the Take Out Project dishes with their logo will ever be for sale.  What I “get” from this project is the satisfaction of knowing that I’m bringing people together over food and beverage and dishes.  That’s it. 

Of course we will sometimes have some volunteer options and fundraising opportunities if you absolutely feel like you want to help out.  We are always looking for people to host a potluck in their home with the Take Out Project plates or a “coffee hour/shop” in their home or business with the Take Out Project mugs.  We also have Lucky Goat Coffee with our logo printed on it for sale for $10/bag.  Oh, and I'm also having t-shirts printed. This money will go toward our graphic design needs, clay material and also toward funding projects such as our latest endeavor, cooking a meal for the residents of Chelsea House in Tallahassee.  Although Street Chefs is volunteering their time to cook we still need food donations.  Let us know if you are dying to help out with any of these needs.  We're also encouraging people to write about their experiences and to photograph their events so that we can post these on our blog.  Otherwise, just show up with yourself and maybe a friend and an open mind to meet new people.  

Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or check out our facebook page for updates.

Thanks, Julie

Guess who's coming to dinner?

When I refined the mission statement of Take Out Project a few months ago, little did I know what a premonition it would be for my life.

“Take Out Project is a ceramic sharing program.  We ask people to slow down and think about what they are consuming, both what they are purchasing and using in their homes and what they are putting into their bodies.  We ask that in doing this they re-connect with their community.”

Well, nothing makes you slow down and think about the food you are eating like finding out you are allergic to five different foods.  Although I have always considered myself a fairly healthy eater, now I realize its not just about avoiding junk food and fast food restaurants. 

Even though I don’t eat much packaged food, I now find myself scouring over the labels in the grocery store and picking over restaurant menus for the one entrée I am able to eat and still avoid my allergens.  The other day my husband asked me, “What do you mean there is gluten in salad dressings? Why would they put gluten in salad dressing?!”  Good question.

Slow down.  I am constantly thinking about food now.  What I can’t have anymore.  How I’m going to fill in those blanks with other foods.  What am I going to do if I can’t enjoy my favorite activity:  going “out” to dinner?

Earlier in the year at our first Take Out Project informational potluck the group decided they wanted to bring back the potluck.  I guess that’s what I’ll have to do.  Dinner “in” is going to be the new thing.  Luckily I have some new ceramic serving pieces that I purchased in North Carolina last month.  Beautiful pieces for beautiful food. 

I’m getting the slow down part, now I just need to re-connect with my community.  It’s not about what I can’t have it’s about what’s been right in front of me the whole time just waiting to be re-introduced.  Hello world, it’s me.  Would you like to come over for dinner?

 -Julie