Following the 2024 election, something changed in our world. Or maybe it just changed in me. Never before did I feel a deeper sense of purpose to help organizations that need it most, to nurture my community, and to focus on things that spark joy.

For me, I’ve always found comfort in sharing a meal with others and for the past several years I’ve run a very fun and spirited cookbook club with friends. I’d been trying to figure out a way to broaden the scope of that club and realized maybe it was time for a second one with a deeper mission at its core - social action.

And so Cooking for Causes was born in the early weeks of November 2024. I quickly discovered that there were many likeminded community members who shared my concerns, hopes, values and, of course, love of a good meal. 

What started off as a cookbook club quickly evolved into a monthly series of fundraising dinners + events with a culinary twist at an affordable pricepoint. Over events have ranged from wine tastings to pasta-making classes, intimate dinners to “sip and stitch” evenings and beyond.

Every Cooking for Causes event requires a ticket for entry and a majority of proceeds from those tickets go to a nonprofit working in support of an important social cause (e.g., women’s rights, protecting the environment, preserving democracy, LGBTQ+ rights, etc.)