A fantastic Concept of spreading generosity and love! This small spark has lighted up few lamps globally (see locations in adjacent file) ...... Now I only wish that this spreads like a wild fire and engulfs the entire world ....

1. 3/8/2015 Karma Kitchen: Growing in Generosity
http://www.karmakitchen.org/index.php?pg=about 1/4
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About Karma Kitchen
Karma Kitchen first opened in Berkeley on March 31st 2007, by several
volunteers inspired to seed the value of a "gift economy". It has now
spread around the globe.
Run by volunteers, our meals are cooked
and served with love, and offered to the
guest as a genuine gift. To complete the
full circle of giving and sustain this
experiment, guests make contributions in
the spirit of pay­it­forward to those who
will come after them. In keeping this chain
going, the generosity of both guests and
volunteers helps to create a future that
moves from transaction to trust, from self­
oriented isolation to shared commitment,
and from fear of scarcity to celebration of
abundance.
Our chain of gifts has been able
to continue for:
meals
With volunteers contributing:
hours
(Numbers updated weekly)
Karma Kitchen is inspired by the same spirit of service that drives the
beautiful work of many organizations and individuals who selflessly give
to others. This restaurant is an experiment in bringing that spirit of
service further into the mainstream community and in inviting
everyone to join together in a circle of giving.
Most of the workers at Karma Kitchen are freely giving their time to
serve others. In the process, they are intentionally cultivating their
personal ideals of selflessness, grace, and generosity. In this way,
Karma Kitchen is a "school of service" for all of us who work to make
the guest experience here happy, nutritional, and satisfying.
The food we present is offered in the truest spirit of giving ­­ without a
price tag.
Our guests bring the giving full circle, by giving in two ways. First, by
dining at Karma Kitchen, they provide us the opportunity to serve,
which we cherish. Second, they have an opportunity to participate in
keeping this pay­it­forward cycle alive by contributing for the next
Guests Offered: 48,758 meals
Volunteers Gave: 39,318 hours

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ServiceSpace
The matrix of inspiration.
guest after them.
By sustaining this cafe, our guests help to shape a future rooted in
celebration of abundance rather than fear of scarcity, in trust rather
than trade, in shared commitment rather than selfishness, in
connectivity rather than isolation, in participation rather than exclusion.
We hope that Karma Kitchen guest see their role in this enterprise not
merely as one of consumer, but as a more deeply invested participant.
Video
Each Karma Kitchen is uniquely local and yet alike in its heart­centered
approach. Most of our locations have their own specific videos but here's
one video that accurately provides a flavor of a typical Karma Kitchen:
[More Videos]
Press Coverage
Karma Kitchen has been covered by dozens of media outlets, tweeted by
many celebrities and received top ratings on restaurant review websites.
Below is a sampling of three press stories:
SF Chronicle Washington Post CS Monitor

3. 3/8/2015 Karma Kitchen: Growing in Generosity
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Karma Kitchen Has
Selflessness on the Menu
(intro by Deepak Chopra!)
Serving up Trust and
Generosity (and in
Washingtonian).
A Restaurant with No
Checks
Additionally, we're also very proud of the labor of love reflections that
people tend to write on their blogs and local platforms. Like when a
volunteer wrote about Taste of a New Counter­Culture in an art
magazine, or when guest wrote about it in a local food magazine, or
when UC Berkeley's student paper covered Dishing Out Generosity.
Commonly Asked Questions
Who pays for my meal at Karma Kitchen?
At Karma Kitchen your meal has been paid for by someone who came
before you. Since it's a gift, you can't pay them back ­­ but you can pay­
it­forward by making a contribution that will allow future guests to
experience the same generosity. It is this circle of giving that allows
Karma Kitchen to keep going.
Who runs Karma Kitchen?
Karma Kitchen is run by a dynamic group of volunteers that assembles at
the restaurant each week to practice generosity through the simple act of
serving a meal. Among them are teachers, artists, doctors, students,
grandmothers, engineers and activists; people often come back to serve
but it's never the same crew twice! Formally, Karma Kitchen is a project
of ServiceSpace, a unique nonprofit organization that ignites and
supports small expressions of service through technology.
How is Karma Kitchen faring?
At this time, Karma Kitchen is able to sustain itself through guest
contributions; any surplus that is received goes towards supporting an
array of gift­economy/generosity projects that work towards a common
good. Many of the special items you see on the Kindness Table are made
available through these projects. (See also Minah Jung's research paper
on Paying More When Paying For Others.)
How Can I Get Involved?
Volunteering at Karma Kitchen is a great way to get involved. Sign up
and we'll send you more information. Share your experience as a guest
with friends and family who you think would resonate with the concept ­­
we'd love to serve them too! Ultimately Karma Kitchen is a platform for
expressing generosity, so if you have any pay­it­ forward ideas that
you'd like to share with us, feel free to reach out.
What is the gift economy?
In a gift economy, goods and services are given without any strings

4. 3/8/2015 Karma Kitchen: Growing in Generosity
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attached; it is an economic system where it is the circulation of the gifts
within the community that leads to increase ­­ increase in connections,
increase in relationship strength; in this context, hoarding actually
decreases wealth. At its core, gift­economy is a shift from consumption
to contribution, transaction to trust, scarcity to abundance, and isolation
to community.
What does it take to start Karma Kitchen in my community?
Typically, it requires a committed group of 4­5 volunteers and a
participating restaurant. Take a look at our startup guide and if you feel
like you can bring KK to your community, drop us a note and we'll pair
you up with a coordinator who can help. You may also like to take a look
at this video for a deeper look:
05:58
How can I contact you?
Write to us anytime through our online form.
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." ­­Gandhi
Follow us on ­­ Twitter or FaceBook.