I love it when our own coordinators are impressed by each other's projects. :)

Richard, editor of works & conversations, writes about his experiences at Karma Kitchen with his usual finesse:

The key moment comes after all the courses have been served, after seconds even, after the smiles, the good cheer and all the attentiveness of the waiters. That's when the bill is presented-amount due $0.00. There's a note with this bill: your meal has been paid for by someone who came before you. We invite you to pay-it-forward in any way you wish. Well, it's interesting moment. Those thinking "at last, a free lunch!" are free see it that way and even come back and score again. But a funny thing tends to happen. The blue sky of 0.0 in place of dollars owed works on a person. The empty pleasure of getting something for nothing starts to have an odd, disarranging effect and, after awhile, that same person will come back asking, how can I be part of this? A free lunch is nothing compared to that other thing which is set in motion with the appearance of a new currency of exchange. And what happens when dollars are no longer calling the shots? In that improbable space, gratitude, the inclination to relate, to say hello, to test out the sudden impulse of trust is set in motion. It can work that way.  

So a few Sundays ago, when I stepped through the door, I was prepared for the upbeat energy. But there was also the slight uneasiness of the unknown, because a visit to Karma Kitchen is always a visit to the unknown. One never knows what to expect other than that something unexpected is bound to happen. There's risk involved. Under the influence of dollar inversion, the usual boundaries between strangers weakens and gives way without warning.

What I remember most from my first visit to the place was the atmosphere, the good cheer that spilled out onto the sidewalk even. And I remember the man who waited on our table. What makes a good waiter? We all know when we're in the presence of one. And that was the case. After his third visit to our table I could not help wondering, who was this man? It was a subtle thing, but each time we had an interaction, the impression grew stronger of someone with a quiet substance hard to find words for. No doubt the fact that he was African American added another layer. Before leaving, I had to ask my friend, one of the  founders, "Who was that man?"

"Oh, he's a CEO of a software firm in Silicon Valley," was his answer. "He's one of our volunteers."

It's worth reading the full piece, as a part of this week's newsletter (and embedded in it is our newest project, that I have yet to blog about :)).