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SANTA BARBARA – Established in Santa Barbara in 2018, The Common Table Foundation emerged during the aftermath of the debris flow tragedy. Its mission, “Bringing us together, to celebrate all that we have in common,” serves as a simple antidote to the chronic isolation, loneliness, and divisiveness of our time. The nonprofit organization promotes authentic dialogue among people of diverse backgrounds as the essential building block of a healthy democracy. Today, the Common Table Foundation welcomes Warren Ritter as the successor to its founding executive director Todd Capps.
The first Common Table event was held on a summer evening in July of 2018, on the sports field of Montecito Union School, several months after the debris flow. Weeks prior, a flyer had circulated throughout the community announcing, “Our Common Table – An outdoor gathering of neighbors sharing a meal at one continuous table in the heart of Montecito. No program. No politics. No speeches. Just food (pot-luck), music, and fellowship.” At 5:30pm, the start of the event, a handful of folks began gathering at the long table. By 6:00pm, over 400 people from all backgrounds across the community were breaking bread together.