Home of the Freedom Dinners. We exist to give freedom by creating beautiful community.
Home of the Freedom Dinners. We exist to give freedom by creating beautiful community.
Have you ever heard about an injustice and thought - we have to do something about this! Well, that's exactly what happened for us and it's where our business began. Did you know that there are 27 million victims of human trafficking in the world today? It’s a staggering statistic that makes you want to jump into action but can also leave you asking yourself; What difference can I make?
My husband, Aaron and I, asked ourselves the same question, but this time an idea sparked.
What if, by sharing dinner together with our friends, we could fight the injustice?
So, we started inviting friends over for dinner. Much like going to a restaurant, we were asking our friends to pay for a meal at our house; unlike a restaurant, all of the money donated would go directly to Atlas Free, an organization on the front lines in the fight against human trafficking. We weren’t sure if anyone would respond! Who goes to a friend’s house to eat, and pays?
Seven people showed up to that first dinner and $300 was given to fight human trafficking. We didn’t know it at the time but the Freedom Dinners at Ciderpress Lane had begun. Since that first dinner 4 years ago we’ve fed over 500 people in our home and orchard and donated over $30,000!
What if we could do more, reach more and give more?
Now, that spark of an idea has turned into a full blown Fair Trade Shop that allows us to do what we love to fight what we hate. We are continuing to expand our online shop so you can buy the things that make Freedom Dinners at CiderPress Lane possible. We wrote a cookbook that tells you exactly how to host a dinner in your own community. Through the shop we are able to create local community workshops, host more dinners and give even more to Atlas Free.
Our hope is that our story will inspire you to fill your table with great food and friends. You never know what you'll be able to accomplish together!
Mom Wants More podcast interview with Kelly Welk
Kitsap Sun article about the freedom dinners.
photography provided by Saleina Marie Photogrpahy
