We closed Alder Street for an afternoon, set up forty tables end to end, and ran out of chairs by 4 p.m. About 600 neighbors came through, and nobody left hungry.

By the numbers

• 40 tables, end to end, for one very long table.
• 90 volunteers cooking, serving, and cleaning up.
• 22 gallons of Denise's chili.
• One lost dog, returned within the hour.

The chili

Everyone asked, so here it is: Denise's recipe is on the front desk in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The secret is a spoonful of cocoa and a lot of patience.

Thank you to everyone who brought a dish, a folding chair, or a friend.