News

“These tables open to all…” (with PHOTO GALLERY)

By Kathryn Riley 

Dinner didn’t officially start until 5:30 p.m., but the meeting room in the Union Congregational Church was already comfortably filled as guests poured themselves a drink, grabbed a snack, and took a seat with fellow diners at one of the ten tables available. Read more...

“Open Table: Nourishment in a Weary World”

By Glenn Rifkin

 How far that little candle throws his beams, so shines a good deed in a weary world.

– William Shakespeare

Sometimes, in the middle of a weary world that often makes little sense and feels devoid of destination, there are small rituals that offer a brief respite and a warm welcome to people who need both. These tiny communities can and do pop up in many places for an endless list of reasons, especially this time of year.  Here in Concord, on Thursday evenings at the First Parish Church, such a community coalesces each week for a simple purpose: to offer a meal, a bag of groceries and a calm reprieve to a group of people who have encountered the indiscriminate touch of hunger. Read more...