In California a love for the South is often met with skepticism and a questioning look at the very least.  Similarly in the South being from Berkeley means you might as well be from Mars.  However on this particular Karma Kitchen Sunday I had the pleasure of taking part in the coming together of two very different parts of the...

Fifteen minutes before opening, a crew of 12 people is buzzing with excitement at the doors. Among them, there is a Buddhist monk. When you have a monk waiting to be the first guest, you know it's going to be a day full of loving-kindness. And it was.  As one of the volunteers comes out to put the Karma Kitchen (KK) sign at...

Dec 12, 2010 It was about three years ago that Christian and I first went to Karma Kitchen in Berkeley for our “first date”.  We enjoyed the food, the games at the table which helped us to get to know each other in a fun and meaningful way, and the embodied spirit of generosity.  When we got the check, though, we...

It was my first time at Karma Kitchen today.  I must've got in at around 1:45PM and the Maitre-D tells me that they're likely to be full for the day.  "Really?" I said.  "Our last seating is at 2:30PM but unfortunately, as you can see here, we've got 11 tables waiting before you."  He was right, of...

Last week, I served as interface for the first time at Karma Kitchen.  Part of that role required me to gather the money that people contributed.  Up until now, in the numerous times I've volunteered at KK, I had never dealt with KK money.  Today, though, I was seeing how much people left.  Or didn't. Part of the...

  Friends, It was a joy serving with you all on this wet Berkeley Sunday. Our 98 guests were treated to a level of step-it-up generosity rarely achieved in these parts :) and as several commented in the closing circle, it made for a very special experience. The spirit of the day was set...

What a joy it was to "discover" the smiles of 112 guests on a rainy Berkeley day! We started our opening circle with stories of Andrea stopping her 60mph car to watch a stunning egret , Ashwin noticing generosity of a stranger who carefully fixed a fallen KK sign, Marilyn reflecting on parking garage kindness from the...

With Karma Kitchen being on Halloween this week, we were certain to have our share of surprises. But the power of some of today's generosity stories were unexpected gifts that I will treasure for a long time to come. First-time volunteer Charisette started by sharing in the opening circle how grateful she was for the love and patience...

Karma Kitchen: Meals Paid for by Those Who Came Before You --by Toan Loan, Go Inspire Go Learn generosity at one very special restaurant run by volunteers in California. What would you do if, after dining out, your server says, "There is no charge. Your meal was paid for by the person who came before you"? Yep, that's...