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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Wider is better ... Hands needed to help Food Bank with bi-monthly drive ... Ashland High grad, professor, author and musician plays here Friday ... Our View: Wider is better ... Hands needed to help Food Bank with bi-monthly drive ... Ashland High grad, professor, author and musician plays here Friday ... LOCAL TAKE What does Uncle Foods weekly dinner mean to you? Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted May. 7, 2015 at 8:06 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted May. 7, 2015 at 8:06 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Should tree be removed to make way for affordable housing? » Social News Uncle Foods Diner has the distinction of being among the best restaurants in Ashland, one that thinks most of its produce is organic, GMO-free and local, but, given its many sources of givers, isn’t totally sure.  It’s the only restaurant in town with no cash register or credit card swiper and likely the only one with community dining, where you can sit down with anyone and expect to strike up a conversation. The director and chef for Uncle Foods, Maren Fay, says her mission is to create “really good, healthy food” and to loosely organize her battalion of volunteers, who all know what they’re doing and don’t need close supervision. Fay is a caterer and she started at Uncle Foods four years ago — learning lessons that go beyond cooking. “I took it as a job,” she says, “but after feeding people for some years, I changed the way I treat homeless or less fortunate people. I used to think, ‘why don’t you get a job?’ But a lot of them are not employable and that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t at least get one good meal a week.” Six-year volunteer Bob Altaras says “You get way more back than you give here. I like to come out into the dining room and eat in a community meal that’s open to anyone. There’s a lot of pride in putting out such good food and it’s almost miraculous we can do it every week, when we don’t even know what volunteers or food will show up.” Long-time community activist-volunteer Dot Fisher-Smith calls it “a commons, a great leveler, a place for people from all walks of life, so it’s not so polarized. Middle-class people have such ideas about homelessness and if they’d come here, they’d see the homeless eat with a knife and fork, just like you and me. It’s like the lion laying down with the lamb.” Dining room manager Leigh Madsen gives an address-invocation before each Tuesday meal . He and others had just laid to rest the ashes of a longtime community member in the garden of the Methodist Church and, he notes, “You see people here care about each other and, if everyone treated others this way, it would be the best place to live.” We asked some of the 100 or so diners, most of whom had been coming for years, what they get out of this Tuesday afternoon repast. John Squires — Uncle Foods is one of the most superlative things about Ashland. Most importantly, it builds community. All kinds of people, every age up to their 80s. People have been volunteering here forever. People passing through come here. I’ve never been here when there’s not a positive attitude. The food here is unbelievably great. Where else can you get a free meal with lots of vegetable choices? Stephanie Johnston — My experience is my children and I come into community here. We don’t have the resources. Uncle Foods became a beacon and created a sense of community. Our appreciation of the quality food here is really high. Such conscious intent is put into the preparation of food. The children look forward to it and we build our week around it. Uncle Foods is unique. There’s no sense of classism here, no sense of separation. It has such an effect on people. They go out and feel a full heart, not just a full belly. Linda Serbu — We go here and have a great time. It isn’t just for the homeless. I wish it would last longer. The food is so good and you and you can have a vegan dinner here. Montana Glinzman — I’ve been coming here eight or 10 years. There’s a lot of care put into this. It’s like home-cooked food, really good quality. It’s such a tremendous mixture of all types and ages of people. They’re not all homeless. Some have jobs. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted May. 7, 2015 at 8:06 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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