A Message from our Founder | May 2024

Written by La Soupe’s Founder, Suzy DeYoung

As schools close for the summer break, the La Soupe calendar changes significantly. We have been diligently working on partnering with the various summer feeding programs to ensure that our city’s food insecure community has access to our healthy meals and soupes. La Soupe basically runs two calendar years and the transition every May is challenging for so many. If you have been wanting to be a kitchen volunteer, slots seem to open up as well, so stay connected with our Manager of Volunteer Engagement, Ali. Come slice and dice with us! My son Christophe will be there to keep you laughing, slicing/dicing/chopping, quarting soupes and wrapping doughnuts!

I have been away for the past three weeks on a very overdue trip to visit my family in France. It is the longest I have ever been away from the place that soothes my soul, gives me a sense of calm and peace, and be with cousins that are more like sisters and brothers to me. The mountains in Alsace hold such a special place in my heart and every year I am fortunate to stay there. I realize I am definitely more of a mountain girl than beach girl. Although admittedly, the hiking seems to get harder with age (and two new hips and rebuilt spine) but the peace and serenity of the forest there is my zen.

This trip gave me time to really evaluate how I would like to spend my retirement years. I am 66 this year and with most of my friends retired, I realized I still have a few things I would like to accomplish while my body is intact. I am in relatively good health and still have some unfinished goals.

With that being said, I have also been working on an exit strategy from La Soupe. Now before you say…WHAT!..you are leaving La Soupe? That is NOT the case. I will ALWAYS be involved in La Soupe as nothing in my work life has been more fulfilling and there is still much work to be done. Finding the right person to lead us into the next 10 years has been a top priority. I know we have the right person in place. I will still be in the office most days, giving talks to various groups and looking always for new solutions, finding more partners and inspiring others to be part of our solution to food waste and food insecurity. La Soupe is in every cell of my being so there is absolutely no way I will ever NOT be a part of its success.

We have successfully made the transition of Emmy Schroder from COO to Executive Director. I count my blessings daily to have had Emmy part of our organization for almost five years now…half of La Soupe’s lifetime. She has worked in various roles for La Soupe and has proven time and time again her passion, commitment, and expertise are exactly what La Soupe needs to lead us into the next decade of our growth. I have learned so much from Emmy the past five years and know that “my baby” is in the best of hands .
 
As I have said so many times ‘I don’t know, I am a cook”…Emmy will ALWAYS have the answer. So please join me in celebrating our new Executive Director, Emmy Schroder!