At Opportunity Council’s Maple Alley Inn, our kitchen serves more than just food—we dish up comfort, connection, and care. For 15 years, the beating heart behind that mission has been program manager Anne Poulson, who has overseen the community meal program with grace, grit, and endless compassion. As Anne prepares to retire, we sat down with her to reflect on her journey and celebrate the community she’s helped to build.
A Life of Service, A Career of Care
Anne never set out to run a community kitchen, much less a program like Maple Alley Inn. It all began when her daughter started bringing home other people her age who needed help or didn’t have homes to go to. Anne would help them however she could—connecting them with services, figuring out where they could get food or dental care, and offering them the same warm welcome that has defined her work ever since.
Anne Poulson, program manager of the Maple Alley Inn hot meals program, helps prepare the day's homemade meal. Anne is now preparing to retire after 15 years with the program.
Maple Alley Inn welcomes all and is open Wednesdays and Thursdays 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to dine in friendly companionship.
Then a neighbor who knew her work well called. “They said, ‘You’re already feeding people your daughter brings home—why not do this as a job?'” Anne remembers. “It was cooking for people who needed a good meal. That just made sense to me.”
So she applied, and what started as a natural extension of her caregiving spirit turned into a deeply meaningful role at Maple Alley Inn. “Feeding people feels like an obvious way to ensure that something good came out of my day,” she says. “And there’s nothing not to like about going to a job where your goal is to give people a great, healthy meal in a warm and friendly place.”
“This is for Everyone”: (Including the Bonus Grandparent!)
Under Anne’s leadership, Maple Alley Inn has become a true community gathering place. It’s open to everyone—not just people unable to find homes—and that inclusive spirit has helped form lasting friendships.
Groups of guests now meet there weekly. “There are people who treat it like their weekly lunch outing,” Anne says. “A group of women meet up here every Thursday. They’ve become friends. And it’s not just the guests—many volunteers sit down to eat with them, because they’ve made those friendships too.”
One volunteer, Ursula, has been with Maple Alley Inn since day one, serving coffee with a side of neighborly love (her commitment is so inspiring that Ursula was even featured on NPR recently). She knows guests by name and history, and Anne describes her as “everybody’s grandma.”
Anne always makes it a point to greet new guests personally. “It can be intimidating if you don’t know what to expect,” she says. “I introduce myself, explain how it works, tell them what’s for lunch, and walk them over to Ursula. I want everyone to feel like they have a friend here.”
She remembers one woman, peeking her head in the door timidly and tearfully saying, “I’m not homeless, but I’m out of food.” Anne responded the way she always does: with kindness. “I told her, ‘This is for everyone.'”
“This Place is Home”
Anne has overseen big changes over the years, including adding to-go meals. Originally a way to keep the program going during the COVID-19 pandemic, its now standard at all meals and a lifeline for guests with mobility challenges, social anxiety, or tight schedules. Each guest can take two meals—helping stretch food budgets, eliminating the need for a second trip, or just providing lunch for at work the next day.
Guests also look out for each other. “People will come up to us and say, ‘Hey, someone’s living in his van and isn’t doing well. Can you check on him?’” Anne says. Thanks to those caring connections, Maple Alley Inn has become a crucial bridge to housing, outreach, and health services.
The Maple Alley Inn Garden provides 1-2 tons of produce a year to serve at meals.
For those interested, Maple Alley Inn also offers the chance to get enrolled in other Opportunity Council services. Even guests who started coming while experiencing homelessness and later move into housing with Opportunity Council help, keep coming back for meals. That, to Anne, speaks volumes: “What does that tell you? This place is home.”
Nourished by the Garden
One of the most joyful aspects of Maple Alley Inn is the connection to the garden that stocks the kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables all year long.
“We make really good food,” Anne says with pride. “And in the summer, when the garden starts bursting, we put out the extra vegetables on a giveaway table. People love that.”
Diners are often surprised to hear just how fresh their food is. “We’ll say, ‘All the lettuce in this salad came from our garden.’ Or, ‘These collards grew right through the winter.’ And when you share that with people, they understand how much you care about them. We want to feed them food we’d want to eat ourselves.”
A Program Built on Dedication
Behind the scenes, Maple Alley Inn runs on the energy of its dedicated volunteers—some of whom have been with the program 20 years or more. Anne sees them as the backbone of the program.
“I’ve never seen this level of dedication before,” she says. “And I think when you have a stable volunteer base, that helps stabilize the whole program. We couldn’t do this without them.”
Anne is also quick to celebrate the continuity of leadership as she retires. Her current assistant, Sarah, will be stepping into the role. “She knows the program inside and out,” Anne says. “Continuity is so important in a program like this. I’m excited to see where it goes next.”
A team of dedicated volunteers preps healthy meals for Maple Alley Inn guests.
How You Can Help
Maple Alley Inn thrives thanks to community support—and there are many ways to get involved.
You can volunteer in the kitchen or in the garden. You can donate to help purchase the ingredients and supplies that can’t be grown or donated. Or you can help spread the word about the incredible work happening at this community kitchen and across Opportunity Council.
One fun and impactful way to support the program right now is through Dine Out for Maple Alley Inn.
Held each spring, Dine Out is a weeklong event where local restaurants partner with Opportunity Council to raise funds for the kitchen. This year’s event takes place May 14–21.
Participating restaurants support the cause in different ways—some donate a portion of sales, some host round-up fundraisers, and others remind diners to give directly. It’s a way to enjoy a great meal, support local businesses, and help feed neighbors in need.
All funds go directly to Maple Alley Inn, helping cover costs for proteins, ingredients, and supplies that can’t be grown in the garden and keep the kitchen running strong.
Visit dineoutbham.com to see the list of participating restaurants and learn more.
A Legacy of Love and Service
As Anne steps into retirement, she leaves behind more than a well-run kitchen. She leaves a legacy of kindness, respect, and deep community connection.
“I like it to feel like we’re a big family,” she says. “If you’re here, you’re part of the family that is Maple Alley.”
Thanks to Anne’s vision and leadership, that family is stronger than ever—and the table is always set, with room for all.
