On September 2, Feed the Mass hosted Garden Space PDX’s Garden Table, a four-course feast celebrating the beauty, abundance, and generosity of Oregon through thoughtfully prepared seasonal ingredients, meaningful table design, live music, and artistic experiences that encourage connection.
As Garden Space PDX puts it: “The Garden Table is more than a dinner. It is an invitation to experience hospitality as a force for renewal.”
More than 200 people from every walk of life came together in the building that houses Feed the Mass’s commercial kitchen to gather for a four-course dinner. Neighbors, artists, students, business owners, families, community leaders, and those experiencing hardship shared the same meal, the same conversations, and the same welcome.
The event also featured live music and a glimpse into the vision of Garden Space PDX and the growing movement of radical hospitality in Portland.
Featured speakers from the community included Renee Boucher, who leads the Western States Region of 24-7 Prayer and facilitates Garden Space PDX; CityTeam Portland Executive Director Lance Orton; Executive Director and co-founder of p:ear Beth Burns; and Feed the Mass’s Donor Engagement Coordinator, Joy Pearson.
Guest chef Tom Herbert, founder of The Long Table, whose work has inspired communities around the world to rediscover the power of gathering across differences, was joined by Feed the Mass’s chefs, led by Jacobsen Valentine, founder and director of Feed the Mass, in the planning and execution of the event.
Together with talented local chefs and Portland artists, the evening was more than a meal—it was a living work of art.
