Honoring Our Volunteers: Claire Stone Builds Community Through Service

On Monday mornings in Venice, community takes shape inside St. Joseph Center’s
Bread & Roses Café—where volunteers like Claire Stone show up week after week to serve with purpose and care.

On a quiet Monday morning in Venice, a line forms outside St. Joseph Center’s Bread & Roses Café well before the doors open. Some guests clutch backpacks while others bundle in their coats. Before service, Chef James offers his usual reminder: “Our guests don’t have to be homeless, they just have to be hungry.”

Inside, the Monday Crew moves with purpose, their laughter rising above the low hum of ’70s and ’80s rock and roll. It is the heartbeat of the Café—community built one Monday at a time.

Among them is Claire Stone, a longtime volunteer and supporter, who quietly begins her mornings rolling silverware and setting tables—small, thoughtful acts that help ensure every meal is served with dignity.

A heart for community

Claire’s dedication to service dates back to high school, when she founded a club that collaborated with local organizations and created opportunities for her classmates to engage with their community.

After moving to Los Angeles, she was eager to find that same connection.

“I heard about St. Joseph Center and Bread & Roses Café when I moved to the Westside. I was looking for a regular volunteer opportunity, and I was thrilled to stumble upon Bread & Roses Café. It’s become such a big part of my life.”

Claire has always championed service work, and her online presence grew organically through authenticity. During the Palisades fire, her platform took on a new purpose as she partnered with a grassroots response group, helping connect those affected with urgent aid.

For Claire, sharing her community service work is about mobilizing support and amplifying stories from the front lines.

Leading the next generation

This month, Claire is taking her commitment a step further by co-hosting a friendraiser for St. Joseph Center. She is stepping into a leadership role for Next Gen advocates and givers, showing other young adults how to leverage their networks for local impact.

Seeing Claire work alongside her family highlights how service is often shared across generations. When families volunteer together, they create a legacy of compassion that extends far beyond a single morning shift.

More than a meal

Bread & Roses Café, a vital part of St. Joseph Center’s holistic approach, provides more than 46,000 hot, nutritious meals each year to individuals experiencing food insecurity.

Unlike traditional soup kitchens, the Café offers a restaurant-style dining experience—serving guests with dignity and respect while connecting them to additional support services.

Programs like Bread & Roses Café are more important than ever. Following recent federal benefit reductions, many households have seen significant decreases in monthly support. At the same time, nearly one in four Los Angeles County residents continues to experience food insecurity.

Rising costs and stagnant wages have only intensified the need for accessible, community-based resources.

Small acts, big impact

“The easiest thing to do is start small and go big. When there is no care and compassion at a federal level, that’s where the community has to step in to support one another.”

Programs like Bread & Roses Café are not just about providing meals. They offer a sense of belonging, connection, and hope for those facing daily challenges.

Thanks to Claire, the Monday Crew, and the next generation of givers, the Café remains a place where people are seen, heard, and supported—one meal, and one Monday at a time.

Note: This post has been edited for length, clarity, and narrative flow.