Vision, Mission and Background

Vision

A world free of suffering caused by processed food.

Mission

Suppers is a 501(c)(3) and its mission is to provide safe and friendly settings where anyone -- and especially people with food-related health challenges -- can develop and manage their own personal transitions to a healthier life. Four principles guide us on our mission: 

  1. The active practice of non-judgement
  2. Whole food preparation
  3. No commercial messages
  4. Restoration of the family table

Twelve boundaries define our roles and protect the participants, spirit, and culture of the Suppers groups. Observing these boundaries helps people keep the focus on their own path to wellness, allowing each of us to determine our own way using the authentic settings of the Suppers tables and the real settings of life.

Background

The first pilot project was called Suppers for Sobriety. Dor Mullen, Founder, drew from many sources of wisdom while creating the program design with early participants. Observers will recognize the influence of medical nutritionists, the 12-step programs, models from counseling psychology, and the whole food movement.

In 2006 we started with a "table-based" recovery group for alcoholics and their loved ones who were willing to explore food as a tool for making sobriety more comfortable and doable. It quickly became clear that the problems of blood sugar and mood chemistry that menace alcoholics long after they stop drinking affect a lot of other people too. The cluster includes people with some combination of depression, anxiety, learning issues, obesity, diabetes and problems with alcohol. The underlying biochemical and environmental causes are virtually the same. While the details of the individual nutritional needs and toxicity issues vary greatly from one person to another, the solutions share a need for: eating closer to nature; using simple assessment tools to determine individual needs; dealing with stresses more effectively; and developing a habit of meaningful physical activity.  

Suppers provides a corrective social experience by addressing all these needs through meetings and the therapeutic relationships they spawn.