At a time of deep polarization—marked by rising antisemitism, anti-Asian hate, attacks on LGBTQ rights, and pervasive systemic racism—Transformation Tableoffers a deceptively simple and profoundly human response: bring people together around food.
The mission of Transformation Table is to create space among strangers of different backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences to come together to see, hear, and understand one another. Using food as a tool for connection, Transformation Table supports communities in promoting cross-cultural understanding, combating hate, and advancing peace and equity. Their vision is nothing less than a globally connected community that actively resists hate and nurtures peace.
The organization’s origins are as meaningful as its mission.
Transformation Table was founded by Tina L. Singleton, whose journey toward this work began thousands of miles away in Kabul, Afghanistan. While serving as a disability rights and inclusion technical advisor, Tina planted a small vegetable garden behind the high walls and razor wire of her compound. Cooking meals with produce from that garden soon turned into pop-up dinners that brought together Afghans and foreign nationals from across the globe. In a place shaped by conflict and division, the simple act of sharing food dissolved barriers and fostered unexpected connection.
One small but powerful ritual stood out: after each meal, guests received a free slice of chocolate cake from Kamal Hamade, a Lebanese restaurant owner nearby. Tina describes it as “a little slice of love”—a reminder of how generosity and hospitality can disarm fear. Tragically, Kamal was killed in a terrorist attack on his restaurant on January 17, 2014, along with 21 patrons and staff. Transformation Table honors Kamal’s memory at every meal, carrying forward his legacy of love in the face of hate.
In April 2016, Tina relocated to Charleston, arriving just one year after the horrific June 17, 2015, mass shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church. At a community event commemorating the tragedy, Dr. Bernice A. King issued a challenge to Charleston: if we are serious about change, we must “get intimate,” go to one another’s homes, and share dinner. Transformation Table is a direct response to that call.
The first Transformation Table dinner took place in November 2016 in a private home, featuring a Vietnamese meal prepared from family recipes by chef Janice Nguyen Hudgins. Ten people arrived as strangers and left with shared stories, laughter, and a deeper understanding of one another. Since that first dinner, Transformation Table has hosted in-home dinners and community events with over 700 participants, featuring the cuisines and stories of 26 chefs from 21 countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iraq, Peru, and the Philippines.
So how does it work?
Transformation Table operates on a simple but intentional model. Anyone interested in expanding their heart and mind is welcome. The only requirement to attend is an open heart and an open mind. Home-based dinners are intentionally limited to around ten guests to ensure meaningful conversation and connection, while community dinners can accommodate more people when needed.
Local chefs and home cooks—each passionate about sharing their food stories and cultural roots—prepare multi-course meals using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. The food is the entry point, but the goal is connection. Around the table, labels and assumptions fall away, replaced by curiosity, empathy, and the recognition that we do not have to be the same to belong.
Transformation Tables can be hosted in private homes or curated by community organizations, nonprofits, and cultural institutions. Each gathering is a deliberate act of resistance against dehumanization—and an investment in a more compassionate, connected future.
We are proud to support Transformation Table as our Q1 2026 Charity of the Quarter and invite you to join us in sustaining this work. Your contributions will help ensure that more tables are set, more stories are shared, and more strangers leave as neighbors.
Thank you, as always, for your generosity and for helping us put our values into action—one quarter, one cause, and one shared table at a time.