Stone Soup has leased space in the Corvallis Daytime Drop-In Center's building for a central kitchen of our own!
After years of dreaming and planning, we are so excited to have started this project. We will renovate the space to suit our needs and relocate all of our meals to this location sometime in the Fall of 2026.
If you would like to support this project you can mail a check to:
Stone Soup Corvallis, Inc.
P.O. Box 2381
Corvallis, OR 97339
Please be sure to note whether your gift is Restricted to this project or operating costs, or that it is Unrestricted and can be used for what is most needed. Thank you.
OR you can donate here: follow this link to our campaign on Zeffy! (Zeffy doesn't keep a percentage of your donation like some other platforms. They ask for a tip but this is completely optional.)
Throughout this page you can see some renderings of the space provided by our architect.
Why Now?
After many years of operating out of the kitchen at Saint Mary's Catholic Church the time came to relocate the four meals that were served there. First Congregational United Church of Christ agreed to host these four meals temporarily, with the understanding that Stone Soup would pursue a longterm home.
We are so thankful to our church hosts: Saint Mary's Catholic Church, First Christian Church, and First Congregational United Church of Christ. These faith communities have shown us great hospitality over the years and we also recognize that the time has come for Stone Soup to have a kitchen of its own.
The successful completion of this project will allow Stone Soup to locate all of its meals to one location. This relocation will also make our meal service more accessible for our diners and will include better transportation access points.
By leasing space from the Corvallis Daytime Drop-In Center, Stone Soup is placing our work in close proximity to the important work of other local service providers. We anticipate that this will lead to many fruitful collaborations moving forward.
Thank You
As we embark on this project, our Board and Staff do so with the knowledge that Stone Soup is a community effort. We are thankful for the 500 or so volunteers who join us annually, for supportive neighbors and friends, for the faith and community groups that have contributed to our work in so many ways, and for the businesses that have supported the feeding of hungry people in Corvallis. We are so excited to continue and expand our work with this project.
How Many Meals Can Stone Soup Currently Serve?
Stone Soup served 41,388 meals in 2025, that's 113 per day! We are serving an average of 124 meals per day so far in 2026.
What Is Needed?
In order to renovate the kitchen space, purchase new kitchen equipment to supplement the appliances we already own, and to account for increased operational and maintenance costs we need to raise $600,000.
Because of the foresight of the Stone Soup Board of Directors, we have already set aside $250,000 for this project.
This project will include needed updates and improvements to utility hook-ups for commercial appliances. It will also include the purchase of kitchen equipment that Stone Soup doesn't already own, such as a dishwasher, range, ovens, etc.
With designated funds, grants, and donations we have raised a total of $269,505 so far!
How Can I Help?
Stone Soup is a testament to the collaborative power of community. People, Faith Communities, Businesses, and Organizations have supported our work for decades. You can continue that legacy by joining us in this exciting new season.
Every contribution gets us closer to completing this project. You can donate in a variety of ways, by check, by donating stocks or bonds, by pledging an amount to be given in the future, you can also support the work of Stone Soup by following this link: follow this link to our campaign on Zeffy!
FAQ
What is the total project cost?
We currently estimate the total project cost at $600,000.
This includes:
Renovation of the kitchen space
Renovation of serving area and pantry
Plumbing, Electrical, and ventilation upgrades
ADA and safety compliance
Commercial kitchen equipment
Permits and design costs
Increased and ongoing operational costs
Maintenance
How much funding does Stone Soup already have? What are your funding sources? Is Stone Soup financially stable?
The Stone Soup Board has set aside funds over the years, anticipating this project and recognizing the need for one centralized location.
With our Board reserves, donations, and grant funds, we have raised $269,505 so far.
We are launching a fundraising campaign to raise the remaining $330,495 to complete this project.
While we have applied for some grant funding, we expect that the majority of the funding for this project will come from individual donors. Stone Soup has always succeeded in feeding our hungry neighbors through the support of caring people in our community. Covering the costs of serving daily meals has been possible because the community has always graciously partnered with us.
Stone soup operates on an annual budget supported by:
Individual donors
Grants
Faith communities
Community partners
In-kind food donations and gleaning
The Board has maintained reserves and strong financial oversight.
How will Stone Soup’s operation costs increase and how will you cover them?
We know that the operating costs will increase with this move:
Food costs will likely increase. Because this new location will make our meals more convenient for diners four days per week, when compared to our current service, we anticipate a significant increase in the number of meals served. Perhaps as much as 20% which would take our daily average from 124 meals to 150. These costs will likely be partly offset by the reduced waste and increased efficiency of operating a single kitchen.
Our monthly rent will increase from $1,200 to $2500 per month
Stone Soup will need to cover the full cost of all utilities including energy, garbage, and city services.
We are confident that the larger generous Corvallis community will support the increased cost of better service for our hungry neighbors.
How can donors participate?
We welcome gifts of all sizes: from $10 to +$25,000. Every gift is significant, we invite everyone in our community to join us in the work of feeding our hungry neighbors.
- Multi-year pledges (preferably unrestricted, or restricted for operating costs)
- Legacy gifts to support operating expenses
- Memorial gifts, restricted or unrestricted (such as gifts given in memory of Cas Cooper in 2025)
All gifts should specify whether they are Restricted (for the new kitchen, for operations, or for other specified legal use) or Unrestricted (for greatest need).
What impact will donor support have?
Your investment will:
- Secure a long-term, stable meal site
- Improve operational efficiency
- Expand meal access for our most vulnerable neighbors
- Reduce overhead costs associated with operating out of two kitchens
- Strengthen Stone Soup’s sustainability for the next 15 years and beyond
Why now and why this location?
The Corvallis Day Time Drop In Center has presented Stone Soup with an excellent opportunity to secure a single meal serving location that is ideal for our diners. They are giving us the chance to work in a premium location at an affordable rate with the knowledge that our rent supports the work they provide. We are thankful for the use of space our Faith Communities have provided over the years while also recognizing that this relocation will strengthen our service model and allow us to meet our guests where they are.
We will be right next door to existing services that many of our diners already access. The kitchen is in downtown Corvallis, highly visible and accessible. We anticipate that relocating to this space will see the number of meals we serve significantly increase.
How many meals can Stone Soup serve from the new space?
Stone Soup served 113 meals a day in 2025. In 2026 so far we serve 124 meals a day on average. In the new space we expect to see that increase to as many as 150 meals a day. We will continue to offer to-go meals.
How will this kitchen improve service?
- It will centralize food preparation
- Improve volunteer workflow and safety
- Increase refrigeration and dry storage efficiency
- Improve meal consistency and nutrition
- Allow weekday meals to shift to dinner service
- Allow Stone Soup to assess its capacity for serving more meals
What other opportunities might arise after completion of the project?
Having a kitchen of our own opens the possibility of serving food in new ways for Stone Soup. In the future it may work to partner with the Drop In Center to provide a simple lunch or breakfast in addition to our current daily meal. Once our operations are established in the new space we will have room to consider other populations that Stone Soup isn’t currently able to serve well.
