THE LA SOUPE SCOUPE

May 2020

MESSAGE FROM SUZY

Like so many people, I am choosing to focus on the positive effects this pandemic has brought us. While many friends have been sharing their boredom, homeschooling woes, working from home with ZOOM, and overall cooped up feelings, I can honestly say, we at La Soupe have not had the time for these emotions. We have moved our entire operation TWICE, during a PANDEMIC, operating at full speed because we are a lifeline to the growing number of hungry people in our community.

As we moved out of the Roundbottom Rd location the final time, I must admit I was a bit emotional. I look at all the dreams that were started and grown in that 900 sq ft building. I think of my beautiful friends who came to help support this vision I had, hammering, painting, running the register, setting up a webpage. How the “Little Soupe Shack” in the middle of nowhere became a hub of caring, loving individuals who are now lifelong friends. And I saw the potential of the model…and have been blessed with the financial support so that it could grow. 

And now…..
Our new home is beyond beautiful, efficient, spacious enough to make social distancing easy, and starting to feel like a home. We wish we could host a Grand Opening but we have plans to give you virtual tours once the final artwork and details are completed. Once again, the many hours dedicated by friends, staff and volunteers have quickly transformed this kitchen into an absolute beast for production.

With the changing tide that Covid has brought to so many of my closest friends in the restaurant business, we have developed the Community Kitchen model, expanding our own Bucket Brigade program to try and support them financially while they navigate the new world we are living in.

We are working on an online ordering system to get up and running in June so all of you who have been wanting to purchase soupe's because…well, they are the BEST. We especially understand you as well as  our volunteers desperately miss taking home a quart for their suppers, and we are valiantly working towards that.

We will be vigilant as ever with our safety protocols, and look forward to the day when you can visit our Improv Cooking Studio, take a tour and buy some soupes! 

Thank you to all who have supported us, we appreciate each and every one of you!

Suzy

915

We are still working on some last construction items, but we are up and running at 915 E. McMillan! We are so proud of our New Home!

BREAKING NEWS!

La Soupe has worked as proud relief chefs in Raleigh, Florida, and Dayton alongside World Central Kitchen. Like WCK, we realized the magnitude  Covid would have on our beloved friends in the restaurant community. Thank you to our dear friends at World Central Kitchen who sent us some great swag to recognize the amazing work, quick pivot, and trust that we are truly kindred souls. We have always said: “Chefs are the Answer” and we believe the Community Kitchen is here to stay! Thank you WCK!

KEEPING UP WITH LOCAL NON PROFITS

Pre COVID19, our friends at Movers and Makers Magazine highlighted both Suzy DeYoung and Suzy Dorward. This magazine has been incredibly helpful in promoting the non-profits around our community. Like so many, they have pivoted their typical operations and have gone from a “paper” magazine to completely online. 

They have asked us to provide our readers with an opportunity to get a year subscription FREE.  Just click HERE to subscribe and keep up with what is going on with our arts, non-profits, volunteers, and leaders in our community.

COMMUNITY KITCHEN PROGRAM

La Soupe has grown the Community Kitchen Program quickly and efficiently starting just 1 week after the Ohio shutdown.  Through the generosity of our donors, a team of workers from idled restaurants have been able to support skeleton operations to utilize rescued food and create meals for the most vulnerable in our community.

Since the start of the program, Cincinnati Public School distribution sites have received over 27,000 meals that were created by our Community Kitchen partners, Taste of Belgium and Sleepy Bee, using rescued food.

The next phase of the program will launch on June 1 with additional restaurants - hold for the announcement on who they will be! These restaurants will supplement rescued food with some of their own food which they will purchase to stimulate the agricultural economy. Also, in phase 2 we will be offering our Bucket Brigade partners compensation for their soupe production. These Bucket Brigaders are our legacy restaurant partners who have been making soupe for us for free since the beginning. We are now in a position to return the favor!

915 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE

While we have officially moved into our new home, we are inching closer to reaching our $5 million 915 Capital Campaign goal.

With a recent (and most generous) $500,000 gift from an anonymous donor, we have raised at total of $4.5 million - $2 million for our Capital Building Campaign and another $2.5 toward our Capital Operating Campaign. We are so grateful to the nearly 650 donors who have made a gift to this campaign. 

The new space is amazing and will allow us to do so much more rescue – transform and share; helping manage our community’s food waste and feeding those who are in need.

If you are still interested in supporting La Soupe’s Capital Campaign, please feel free to go online to www.lasoupe.org and make a gift. Help us spread the word about this campaign and let your friends know that we are so close to reaching our goal and fulfilling our vision.  If you would like to know more, please feel free to reach out to Suzy Dorward – sldorward@lasoupe.org

RESPONDING TO THIS PANDEMIC WITH A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS!

When the new “March Madness” hit the world and brought us shelter-in-place, social distancing and record-breaking unemployment, La Soupe responded quickly to feed thousands of people in the Greater Cincinnati community and give our restaurant partners help.

The shutdown has also brought tremendous growth to La Soupe’s internal activity.  Weekly rescue pounds are now running close to three times the volume experienced in 2019, while weekly servings produced have jumped from just over 5,700 in 2019 to 15,000 since March 16.  We’ve added a few extra hands to help out during this time and are considering the longer term implications for our newfound capacity, both at 915 and as a result of continuing to streamline our process.

We could not continue to serve those in need without the generous support of so many. At this time, we would like to thank those local Foundations/Donors who have invested $5,000+ in La Soupe and our new Community Kitchen model. 

• Stephen Black

• Indian Hill Church

• Ingage Partners

• Interact for Health

• Beth Jones

• Kiley Hammond

• Knox Presbyterian Church

• Willow Hill Foundation

• Meer & Ashok Vasudevan Foundation (MAVF)

• Procter & Gamble Asian Pacific Fund

• Sutphin Family Foundation

• Larry Van Kirk         

FROM EXECUTIVE CHEF MIRANDA

What better to do with leftover heals of all that bread your making at home!

Pappa al Pomodoro

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• Pinch red pepper flakes

• 2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1/2 medium onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes, or large chunk of fresh crushed by hand, with juices

• 2 sprigs fresh basil, plus torn leaves for serving

• 1/3 pound (about 6 ounces) fresh or stale rustic bread, torn or cut into 1-inch chunks 

• 2 cups warm homemade vegetable stock plus more as needed

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  1.  In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic just begins to turn golden. Add onion and cook, stirring, just until softened, about 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and their juices, along with basil sprigs, and bring to a simmer.

  2. Stir in bread. Ladle stock on top, stirring to combine. Simmer bread, adding more stock as needed, until bread is completely softened and custardy and soup has thickened to a porridge-like consistency, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard basil sprigs.

  3. Spoon into bowls, generously drizzle with olive oil, and grind black pepper on top. Garnish with torn basil leaves and serve.

SHARE PARTNERS

Santa Maria helps Greater Price Hill families attain their educational, financial, and health goals. They value partnership, empowerment, results, family, empathy, community, trust, and stewardship, and they know that implementing these values at a young age is important. Santa Maria has been seeing higher needs because of the coronavirus pandemic, so La Soupe has started donating produce and frozen soupe twice per week. If you're interested in donating, please contact Luz Schemmel at Luz.Schemmel@santamaria-cincy.org

Click HERE to go to their website