When the COVID-19 pandemic forced my family daycare to close after 30 wonderful years, I found myself searching for purpose—some way to feel useful and help others through the collective grief we were all facing. I’d always had a heart for feeding people and giving what I could to those in need, but the pandemic magnified just how deeply vulnerable communities were being affected.
As homeless shelters shut down, food pantries scaled back due to safety concerns, and meal programs vanished, I knew I couldn’t sit still. That’s when the idea for The Stone Soup Project began to take shape.
By February 2021, we officially launched—born from a desire to nourish, connect, and show up for those who needed it most.
About Maureen Dunne
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
I come from a large, loving family and have 4 kids, 7 grands, and 8 great-grands. My family is the most important thing in my world.
Q: Please tell us about your life and what you do (whether working in our community, a business owner, volunteer, etc.). How did you choose that path?
I owned and operated a licensed family day care from 1993 until late 2020, when the global pandemic interrupted everything. Working with kids, I enjoyed decades of success, forming friendships with dozens of families along the way. I now devote all of my time, my love, my energy, to getting food and other necessities to folks in need, a lifelong passion.
Q: What do you love most about what you do?
What I love now about my work is, again, the people. The people we serve, the many outstanding volunteers and supporters, and the partners we have met since we began. It is wonderful to know that we are able to make a difference, however small, in a person’s life.
Q: What was the most difficult challenge in getting to where you are now or in your life?
Interesting question! My personal challenge has been learning to pivot from being independent and financially successful to being in a position where I relay on the help and assistance of others. I feel that I have finally become comfortable with receiving as well as giving.
Q: What is the most rewarding part?
The most rewarding part is seeing people enjoy a delicious meal, knowing that they will be back again and again, and learning the stories of our sisters and brothers.
Q: What are some of your future goals? Do you have anything exciting coming up that you would like to share?
We are hoping to expand our services to more rural areas, and we hope to purchase a truck or a trailer so that we can bring a table and chairs to our meal site, giving our guests the opportunity to sit down and enjoy their meals.
Q: What advice would you give to someone interested in doing something similar to what you have done/are doing?
Do it! Ask smart people every question you have. Look up similar organizations and contact them, get insights, tips, and all the information you can from people already doing it. I honestly had no idea how to go about this, how to form a 501c-3, where to set up our service, etc. I found people who were experienced in the areas we needed to learn. Yes, we made mistakes. Yes, there were issues to overcome, and yes, we are still learning and growing. It is the most fulfilling work I have ever done and I hope to continue for a long, long time.
Maureen Dunne & Our Community
Q: What is your favorite thing about our community, favorite thing to do, or something unique about our community that you love? (Feel free to share as much as you’d like!)
I grew up in Pewaukee, raised my kids here, and despite having moved away several times, have always happily made my way back here. The Lake Country area has grown and changed a lot in my time, yet I still feel it is a warm and wonderful place to live and work. My favorite thing is the people here. So many lifelong friends feel like family. Our small town sense of community blends perfectly with our proximity to Milwaukee and all the city has to offer.
Q: Who is an interesting person you’ve met here in our community, and how have they inspired you?
The most inspiring person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing is Karen Ackley Treadwell. Not only has Karen spent her life working for and caring about people, she has been a personal friend and mentor in many ways. Karen was the first person I turned to as I was beginning the Stone Soup Project, and her advice and guidance have been immeasurable. Karen is a true hero in my opinion.
Q: Do you have a favorite coffee shop, cocktail shop, or restaurant?
I have enjoyed Park Avenue Pizza Company since they opened their doors over 40 years ago, as the Pizza and Sub Shop. They are a friendly, family-run restaurant with great food and wonderful service. A true gem in the heart of Pewaukee.
Q: What 3 words would you use to describe our community?
Safe, friendly, fun.
For Fun
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I’m pretty much an open book; I think everybody who knows me knows everything they want to about me.
Q: What is your favorite book, TV show, movie, poem, or song? Why?
Book: Stranger in a Strange Land, because it highlights the folly of fearing that which we don’t understand. TV show: Grey’s Anatomy, at this point because I’ve already invested 20 years in the show and I am compelled to see it through. Poem: No Man is an Island, because it illustrates our unending connection to one another. Song: The Sound of Silence, because it remains relevant and never stops questioning.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
Michelle Obama.
Q: If you were a drink (can be a coffee drink, alcoholic, non-alcoholic, etc.), what would you be?
Water.
Q: If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be with? Why?
Michelle Obama. Because this woman is so smart, so full of love and compassion and insights to the human condition, because she does not back down in the face of hate, because she raises the bar on human dignity and grace in everything she does publicly.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A trip to Ireland, where my grandparents were born.
Q: What makes you the happiest?
Being with my family.
Q: Any general life advice you would like to share?
Be kind. Be honest. Be you.
Where to Find Maureen Dunne
Email: Maureen@thestonesoupproject.org
Nice To Meet You:
I believe in positively impacting my clients and the community I live in, which is why I jumped at the chance to be an ambassador with “The Faces of Lake Country”. It’s a perfect blend of why I enjoy being a Realtor with Shorewest, Realtors, and everything I love about living in Lake Country.
I truly enjoy being a part of this community and helping others along the way. Prior to real estate, I was an Office Supervisor for the City of Waukesha Park & Recreation Department. During this time, I had the opportunity to work with many business owners and serve the general public. It was there that I realized that it really does take a village to make a community great and each and every one of us plays an important role.
Read More
