Some of the most creative cooking in history has happened under the most challenging circumstances. That’s the idea at the heart of The Peace Meal Project: From Rations to Resilience, a unique fundraising dinner hosted by Stone Row Pub & Eatery in Jim Thorpe on April 24 at 6:30 p.m., with proceeds benefiting the Feeding Our Neighbors Fund at the Carbon County Community Foundation.

Stone Row owner Margaret White has designed an eight-plus-course menu inspired by the resourcefulness people have demonstrated throughout history when food was scarce, from wartime rationing to modern-day food insecurity. Dishes will draw from a range of cultures and highlight techniques that hold up beautifully in today’s kitchen.

The concept is deeply personal for White. Her interest was sparked by a World War I poster she discovered that reflected Stone Row’s own culinary philosophy — and by a BBC series about food rationing in wartime Britain, which lasted from 1940 to 1954.

White is the daughter of an English woman whose formative years fell squarely within that era. “It explained every uninspired and inedible dish my mother ever made,” White said, “leading me to (mostly) forgiving her.”

That spirit of doing more with less is baked into everything Stone Row does. Its menu is gluten free, nut free, shellfish free, and largely dairy and egg free — not as a limitation, but as a creative challenge.

“In order to delight our varied guests, we are relentless in expanding our techniques and developing recipes,” White noted.

The Feeding Our Neighbors Fund was established by the Carbon County Community Foundation in 2025, in direct response to the suspension of SNAP benefits and a sharp increase in demand at local food pantries across Carbon County. The need was urgent and the community responded.

Within a month of the fund’s launch, the foundation was able to distribute more than $100,000 to 17 local food pantries, helping them stock their shelves and meet a wave of new demand just in time for the holiday season.

When SNAP benefits were reinstated, the foundation made a deliberate choice to keep the fund going. The Feeding Our Neighbors Fund is now a permanent endowment at the Carbon County Community Foundation, providing ongoing support for food pantries and programs that address food insecurity in Carbon County.

“When Margaret brought this idea to us, we said yes immediately,” said Sharon Alexander, president of the Carbon County Community Foundation. “This event captures something really important — the reality that food insecurity isn’t a distant problem. It’s happening right here in Carbon County, and the creativity and generosity of partners like Stone Row are what help us meet that need.”

White echoed that sentiment: “We’re passionate about feeding people, and the Feeding Our Neighbors Fund helps bridge the massive gap between benefits and access to food, ensuring that people eat. It’s a natural collaboration.”

The full multi-course dinner includes iced tea, coffee and hot tea, with $20 of each ticket sold going to the foundation. Alcoholic beverages are available separately.

The 6:30 p.m. start time was chosen so guests can finish their workdays and take advantage of the free parking in Jim Thorpe that begins at 6 p.m.

Solo diners are welcome; communal seating will be arranged to spark conversation and bring guests together around the table.

Reservations are required and must be made by April 23. Call Stone Row Pub & Eatery at 570-732-0465 to reserve your spot.