When my husband and I moved to Pennsylvania, we didn't know a soul. I heard about a raw food potluck about an hour away from our home through a raw market/cafe that I would frequent. I started going regularly and totally loved it. I met such great people, ate incredible food and got all the recipes, stayed inspired and supported and heard knowledgeable guest speakers about the raw food lifestyle. There was only one thing missing...my husband!

Our son was 13 months at the time and the potlucks weren't the place for children, as there were formal lectures which we actually paid for. I would bring back the info for my husband, John, but kept feeling that it would be really neat to also have my son in the raw food community lifestyle. Soooo...I came up with the idea to start having "kid-friendly" raw potlucks at our home with a completely loose format of just getting together to chat and enjoy yummy foods. I really needed to connect with other parents who were endeavoring to think outside the box when choosing what to feed their children. We named the potluck "Raw Harmony", which actually has some history and personal significance for us, but I won't go into that.

After 3 months, the attendance dwindled a lot because in Pennsylvania everyone lives SO far away from each other. It just got to be too much. So, we decided to have the potluck travel and be hosted by a different potlucker each month. That way it's always in a different location and is more fair when it comes to the traveling. 16 months later, the Raw Potluck is going strong and boasts about 80 members on the potluck email list.

I'm sharing all of this to encourage and inspire you to create a community of potluckers in your area. It is absolutely not necessary to be a raw foodist. In fact, many of our members are not completely raw. But ALL of them/us are interested in being healthier, deepening our connection with our food, each other and the environment.

All you have to do is make up a flier with a way that you feel comfortable with people contacting you. I recommend you leave out your address and have people RSVP to receive that. Post it in your local health food store and I guarantee you someone will call. There are people interested in healthier eating and nutrition in every nook and cranny of our country.

Thank you for reading. If you have any questions about this then post and I'll respond. Also, please let us know about your potluck and the process of getting started!

Blessings,
Shawna

Anyone interested in potluck in the Cincinnati, Ohio area?  I am.

Valerie