Neighbor's Table is on a Love Mission

 


I was telling a neighbor about a book I had read recently where a lady put a picnic table in her front yard and it become the hub of social activity in that neighborhood. (The Turquoise Table)

She then told me about a lady she knew in Texas that has a business called Neighbor’s Table.

That put me on a journey to learn more and the story of Neighbor’s Table unfolded as all good stories do, organically. 

In 2011, owner and founder Sarah took a huge leap and moved to Dallas, Texas. She was running herself ragged from chasing everything shiny. Her performance-driven, young professional heart was looking in all the wrong places for validation and approval. Then a good friend helped het stop and put a plan in place to understand her identity. Slowly, she began focusing on being more than doing and she started to confront the things that had held her back.

For months, she reflected on how she was naturally wired and thought about the moments she felt most alive. She kept coming back to what she loved: gathering around a table and celebrating with others.

She asked her father to build a cedar, farmhouse-style table, big enough to seat 20 people. They placed it under the oak tree in their backyard, dropped chandeliers from overhead, and started inviting neighbors, friends, family, and even people she met at the grocery store.

Sarah set a goal to serve 500 people that year, one dinner party after another. The 500th guest walked up my driveway on Thanksgiving Day in 2012. Now years later, nearly 3,000 have been loved at that table.

The power of community that now gathers regularly at the original Neighbor's Table has spurred a desire to launch a love mission. While on this journey, she met many people who have the same passion for people gathering, yet need help in making it happen. 

Sarah and Lee now build custom handcrafted tables and share inspiring stories as well as their favorite provisions. Their dream is to have their tables in backyards across the country in every state so that you can love your neighbors too.

Learn more about Neighbor's Table in this interview with Sarah.


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