changing THE GAME

Ten innovating organizations are taking action to tackle big, food-focused issues around the Southeast

- EMILY HAVENER, TATE JACARUSO, AND ERIN BYERS MURRAY

Tina Singleton
Transformation Table Lowcountry CHARLESTON
Cause
Promoting social justice and racial equity through building community

Born in Germany to an Air Force family, Tina Singleton has lived all over the world, in Central African Republic and Benin, West Africa; in London and Kabul; in New York City and on the West Coast. But when she moved to Charleston to be near family and put her farming certification to use, she recognized both a need and a unique opportunity.

At an event commemorating the oneyear anniversary of the racially motivated massacre of nine people at Mother Emanuel church in Charleston, Singleton heard Rev. Dr. Bernice King's exhortation: "Go to each other's homes, have dinner!" Immediately Singleton thought of dinners she used to host while working as a disability programs technical advisor in Afghanistan. "I planted a garden with my guards in my compound," she remembers. "I planted way too much, and since I liked to cook, I decided to host 10-person lunches for foreigners and local Afghans who wanted to attend.

It was a way to relax in a stressful environment, come together with others, and share a meal. I thought, why not try the concept in Charleston?" Transformation Table held its first dinner in November 2016 with a group of 10 strangers who volunteered to host or attend, and get to know each other.

Since then, the program has partnered with AccessAbility and been renamed Transformation Table Lowcountry, reflecting Singleton's goals for expanding access and spreading to a wider range of communities. There are two types of dinners: those hosted by organizations, such as the MLK Beloved Community Dinner at the International African American Museum this past January, and those held in the home of a volunteer.