To many people in Greenfield and the neighboring communities, Erik Rudder is known as a kind, hard-working and incredibly selfless person. During my years volunteering at Stone Soup Cafe, there was no one more trusted and relied upon than Erik amidst the fast-paced process of preparing hundreds of meals for the community. Never flustered and always ready with a kind, soft-spoken word when the kitchen heats up, he is the definition of cool under pressure.

Hundreds of people have come through Stone Soup Cafe as volunteers that would tell the same story as above. Erik is legendary for his kindness and composure among our community. He is also a dedicated father whose older child recently completed their first year at Boston University, while his younger son attends high school.

Erik works two jobs, one of which relies solely on personal transportation. When his car stopped working several weeks ago, it became a serious challenge to get to Northfield daily and he has in general been dealing with the constant logistical issues of living in a rural area without a vehicle. Rising costs put an affordable used car into a range that will either make Erik have to compromise on what he can purchase or force him to keep saving for several months while jeopardizing his ability to get to work reliably, especially as winter approaches.

We can show Erik how grateful we are for his devotion to the Greenfield community and the countless people he's helped over the years by donating what we can to raise enough money for him to buy a reliable vehicle. Erik has given so much to his friends, family and strangers. Let's come together to return a fraction of the generosity that he has shared with us and our community.

Erik has been paying it forward in deeds, words and heart for a very long time. With your generous donation, we can pay a little of it back and help him get the car he deserves.