La Soupe on a mission to double its reach in 2017

Looking for a special way to enjoy Valentine’s Day?
 
Whether it’s with that special someone, a family member or a friend, La Soupe is offering a way for you to celebrate by “paying with your heart.”
 
The nonprofit, which rescues nutritious ingredients from otherwise wasted food and then prepares dishes in an effort to combat food insecurity, will serve its soups at Union Hall on Feb. 14.
 
The goal: to immerse itself within the startup movement while aiming to double its expansion efforts.
 
“Cincinnati is ranked the no. 2 city in the U.S. for childhood poverty; at the same time, 40 percent of all food in the U.S. is wasted,” says Jessica Kerr, La Soupe’s director of development. “La Soupe’s mission is to bridge this gap.”
 
According to Kerr, the nonprofit has rescued more than 125,000 pounds of food and donated 95,000 servings of soup to people in need.
 
“That equates to saving 270 cubic yards of landfill,” Kerr says. “However, we are at our capacity with our 900-square-foot building. We are fundraising to expand our location so we can double the amount of food we rescue and soups we share.”
 
Next week’s Union Hall event will feature #StartUpCincy member companies, most of which are physical in nature. But for Kerr, the hope is this: “That people will stop by to taste some soups, see what Union Hall has to offer and shop around for any last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts.”
 
The event will feature soups from its Bucket Brigade chefs, including Orchids at Palm Court’s Todd Kelly, Salazar’s Andy Hiner and Maribelle’s Mike Florea. Soup will be free of charge, though donations will be accepted to help the nonprofit reach more individuals in the days to come.
 
“We are so excited to be welcomed into the #StartUpCincy community,” Kerr says. “Cincinnati’s startup scene revolves around innovation of all kinds (not just tech), and our goal is to show the city — and the country — that increasing collaboration among tech and social companies can solve major problems through innovation. We are dedicated to utilizing technology to bridge Cincinnati's food waste and food insecurity gap.”

Do Good: 

•    Check out La Soupe at its Feb. 14 event, or via its Soupe Mobile at Mariemont Square on Feb. 28. 

•    Interested in La Soupe and its Soupe Mobile? Follow the schedule on Facebook and Twitter at @SoupePassionne. 

•    Support La Soupe by donating today.