‘A Testament to His Passion’: Open Table MDI Pays Tribute to Singh
Meals and Mission Hope to Continue as Open Table MDI Plans Path Forward
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BAR HARBOR—After a heartfelt letter from Mahandeva Singh, the leader of Open Table MDI, its board has issued a statement about potential ways that the food-security organization can move forward.
Singh, explained in a letter, that he was stepping down as Open Table MDI’s head chef permanently.
“Just over a year ago, I had major surgery—one that most people take two to three years to fully recover from. When I came back in May to continue running the supper, I thought I was strong enough. I was not. Each week, my body told me it was too much,” he explained.
The community responded with well wishes and love, the board explained and called Singh’s letter “a testament to his passion, dedication, and the joy he has poured into this community.”
Singh will no longer be in charge of the weekly and free Tuesday meal, but he will continue as the organization’s executive director. This means he’ll be in charge of ordering, accounting, and fundraising.
“For close to a decade, Open Table MDI has been a place where food becomes more than nourishment—it becomes connection. Every Tuesday, our kitchen at 116 Cottage Street hums with the sounds of chopping, stirring, laughter, and conversation. Volunteers bustle about, and neighbors, old friends and new, gather over plates of warm, lovingly prepared meals. Some take their suppers to go; others share them at our tables; still others receive deliveries at home. In all, we feed an average of 350 people each week,” the board wrote in its August 14 letter to the community.
The board offered two potential ways for the organization to move forward.
The first possibility is that the organization raises funds to fully support the program, which currently has an annual cost of approximately $250,000. However, that did not include costs for a head chef, because Singh donated his time.
The second option would be partnering with another organization on Mount Desert Island that has a similar mission.
“No matter which path unfolds, one thing is certain: the need for what Open Table MDI provides has not gone away. The shared meals, the conversations, the friendships formed across tables – these are the threads that weave our community together,” the board wrote.
The organization began in the Bar Harbor Congregational Church’s basement in 2018 and has served more than 100,000 meals, hosted fundraisers, events, musicians, and community members.
The nonprofit was incubated by Healthy Acadia. In just 18 months, it had served more than 10,000 meals to seasonal workers, community members, and visitors. Within three years, they’d served more than 35,000 meals and fed around 400 people every single week.
That’s not counting the 150 served by the MDI Food Access Project, which is a collaboration between Open Table, COA, Beech Hill Farm, Health Acadia’s Gleaning Initiative, Island Connections, and the Bar Harbor Food Pantry. A food service delivering meals began during the pandemic.
The organization grew as the need grew. The kindness blossomed. The crew of volunteers grew and became more closely connected with each meal served and in 2022, the nonprofit moved to 116 Cottage Street in Bar Harbor.
“It’s universal that people want to be together. And there’s something magical that happens when you’re sharing a meal, where differences that you might have with that person…seem to melt away when you’re having some food and listening to music,” Singh said to the Mount Desert Islander’s Victoria DeCoster in January 2023. “The things that might conspire to separate us, all of that seems to dissipate. There’s just community and you realize that you’re welcome and that you fit in no matter what.”
THE UPDATE FROM THE BOARD
Over the past week, our hearts have been full as we have felt the outpouring of love, gratitude, and support for our beloved leader, Mahandeva Singh. Many of you have reached out after learning that Mahandeva has decided to step down from his role as Head Chef of Open Table MDI to focus on his health.
If you have not yet read his beautiful and heartfelt letter, you can find it on our homepage (opentablemdi.org) and on our social media accounts. It is a testament to his passion, dedication, and the joy he has poured into this community.
For close to a decade, Open Table MDI has been a place where food becomes more than nourishment – it becomes connection. Every Tuesday, our kitchen at 116 Cottage Street hums with the sounds of chopping, stirring, laughter, and conversation. Volunteers bustle about, and neighbors, old friends and new, gather over plates of warm, lovingly prepared meals. Some take their suppers to go; others share them at our tables; still others receive deliveries at home. In all, we feed an average of 350 people each week.
We’ve built a network that is as strong as it is authentic – partnering with organizations like the Bar Harbor Food Pantry, College of the Atlantic, Bangor Savings Bank, Island Connections, Healthy Acadia, the Bar Harbor Garden Club, Bar Harbor Congregational Church, and the Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine. This is a web of care that stretches far beyond our kitchen walls.
While Mahandeva will no longer be overseeing the Tuesday meal, he has graciously offered to continue serving as Executive Director behind the scenes: handling accounting, fundraising, ordering, and more. But to keep our suppers going, we must now fill the enormous gap left by his departure as Head Chef.
This is our moment of decision – and of possibility.
We see two clear paths forward:
Path 1 — A Fully Funded Future
We raise the funds to hire a new chef and sustain the Tuesday supper program for years to come. Our annual expenses have averaged around $250,000, a goal we’ve consistently met through grants, private donations, and community support. But because Mahandeva donated the majority of his time, we now face the need for additional funds to cover a chef’s salary.
Our vision is to secure two years of funding – enough to ensure stability while we continue cultivating a sustainable donor base for the future.
One possible way this could happen:
4 donors at $30,000
4 donors at $10,000
100 donors at $200
200 donors at $100
Path 2 — A New Home Under a Partner Organization
We explore becoming part of another Island-based organization whose mission and values align with ours. Our fully equipped kitchen, experienced volunteer base, and deep knowledge of the community could make Open Table MDI a valuable asset to the right partner.
No matter which path unfolds, one thing is certain: the need for what Open Table MDI provides has not gone away. The shared meals, the conversations, the friendships formed across tables – these are the threads that weave our community together.
We are asking you, our friends, neighbors, and partners, to imagine what it would take to ensure Open Table MDI’s continued presence in our community. Whether you are able to give, connect us to potential donors, or open a conversation about partnership, your involvement matters now more than ever.
Open Table MDI has always been a labor of love, built by many hands and generous hearts. We have risen to meet challenges before, and we believe we can do it again – together.
If you are inspired to help us continue this work, please reach out to us at opentablemdi@gmail.com or make a gift on our website.
The table is set, the air rich with the promise of what we might create, and the next course of Open Table MDI’s story waits to be cooked, seasoned, and shared by all of us.
With deep gratitude and hope,
Open Table MDI’s Board of Directors
Nancy Schafer, President
Curt Goldsberry, Treasurer
Puranjot Kaur, Secretary
Rose Besen-McNally
Rachel Bunker
Dianne Clendaniel
Donna Gaines
Sam Gaines
Janet Hamel
Angel Maldonado
Bettina Richards
Megan Rilkoff
Amy Roebuck
Zach Soares
Jessica Stewart
Jean Sylvia
WAYS TO HELP AND LINKS TO LEARN MORE
If you are inspired to help us continue this work, please reach out to Open Table MDI at opentablemdi@gmail.com or make a gift on its website.
Beacons of Light:
A Letter to the Community from Mahandeva Singh
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