Weekly Food Initiative Feeds the West Side Community
Caption: Community members attend the Soup for The Soul weekly food giveaway event at the Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church on Monday, Jan. 25. Photo Taken by Mariah McBride.
NORTH LAWNDALE - Despite the cold winter weather and COVID -19 pandemic, cheery music played, and spirits were warm as West Side organizers were back—once again—feeding and fellowshipping with the North Lawndale community.
The initiative, Soup for The Soul, has been an ongoing collaboration located at Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church (MBC), 3622 W. Douglas Blvd. Every Monday, members of the Stone Temple Missionary (MBC), The North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council’s Greening Open Space Water Soil Sustainability Committee (NLCCC GROWSS), volunteers and other neighborhood groups distribute soup from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. outside of the church. The co-chair of NLCCC’s GROWSS committee, Andrea Lee, said Soup for the Soul is about bringing joy to the community during an isolated time.
“The events itself, it is just, you know, kind of like a little party, like a little sidewalk party and it just feels like something fun to be part of that people can come and just hang out and talk to each other and you know, get some things that they need, maybe give some things that they have extra of. So it's just been such a joy to part of.”
The idea for the food distribution program developed after NLCCC GROWSS helped with several other COVID-19 response food programs during the summer. Originally, the committee hoped to add a different element.
“We saw an opening for a different type of community response to COVID. We initially wanted to provide space for people to gather once a week where we could offer entertainment, like spoken word, or music,” Lee said. “But as we got closer to a launch date, which was mid-November, we realized that with the COVID numbers rising and the restrictions tightening that we wouldn't be able to really gather in any sort of fashion. So, then we switched to just soup distribution.”
Caption: Westside organizers distribute soup at Soup for the Soul at the Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church on Monday, Jan. 25. Photo Taken by Mariah McBride.
The NLCCC’s GROWSS committee and the Stone Temple MBC have distributed around 300 boxes of 200-216 ounce portions of hot soup every week since November 16, 2020. In order to participate in the event, attendees must wear masks and practice social distancing.
Each week’s provisions cost $700. The Trust for Public Land paid for the first distribution. After those funds were exhausted, Soup for the Soul needed more financial aid. Pastor Reshorna Fitzpatrick from Stone Temple MBC and NLCCC GROWSS decided to start a fundraiser on GoFundMe. Within its first week, Soup for The Soul was able to raise around $3,500 dollars.
Lee, who is also the Manager of External Affairs at UCAN, said “None of us have an extensive social media reach. So, yeah, it was exciting. And it felt like there's really community support behind this and other people see this need.”
Caption: Co-chair of NLCCC’s GROWSS committee, Andrea Lee, (far left) and Pastor Reshorna (right of Lee) chatting at the Soup for the Soul Event. Lee laughs, “It just feels so fun to be part of it. And I enjoy bringing the music, and I enjoy Pastor Shorna[Reshorna] telling me every week like those aren't church lyrics.” Photo by Mariah McBride.
The online petition has now raised over $9,000 out of the $13,000 goal. There have been 125 donors. Two donors, Mike and Marguerite Blecha, wrote in the comments, “We care about our fellow humans who are less fortunate than us.” While another donor, Mary Khoury, said, “Our family wants to support our neighbors in North Lawndale. Appreciating Pastor Reshorna’s leadership.” According to the page, all funds raised will go toward supporting the program until it ends.
NLCCC GROWSS not only feeds the community, but hires from the community. Supporting the local economy, the money that has been raised is spent on hiring local minority chefs and cooks that were recruited from The Hatchery, a food business incubator on the West Side. Moreover, there have been other local businesses, such as Everything Tacos, that have provided food for the initiative as well.
Overtime Soup for The Soul has transformed into more than just a food distribution program. Other organizations and community members have distributed and donated other items. One event partner, Open Books, a nonprofit that has literacy programs throughout Chicagoland, currently offers free books at the distribution while another partnership with Urban Growers Collective allows residents to purchase fresh produce through its Fresh Moves Mobile Market. Additionally, volunteers hand out free clothing to attendees. In the past, Lee shared that one community member gave out free natural soap and her fellow NLCCC organizer started offering attendees free yoga classes in exchange for feminine hygiene products that would be given to those in need. Even two elementary students decided to contribute to the community effort by making friendship bracelets for those who donated to the campaign.
Caption: Attendees stop by the Fresh Moves Mobile Market at (left photo) while volunteers distribute free clothing (right photo) at Soup for the Soul.
“We have really just provided something for people to rally around, and it's not that we have created everything or that we have given everything ourselves, but that we provided something that other programs can add their contributions to, people can add their money to,” Lee said, “But just to hold that for the community has been I think what's been most meaningful and to bring so many people together.”
Caption: Mural located next to the Soup for The Soul outside event at the Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church on Monday, Jan. 24. Photo Taken by Mariah McBride.
Soup for The Soul will continue throughout March 31, 2021 at Stone Temple MBC. Members of NLCCC GROWSS hope that they can continue to bring the community together.
Lee said, “And when it [COVID-19] leaves it's going to leave still a lot of need behind. So, we plan to be there in some way, because we've seen how much the community rallies around just that, that initial spark of support.”