There’s nothing like a hot bowl of soup.
It’s the perfect pick me up on a cold day and let’s not forget about all the worldly variations.
So if you’re a fan of soup like we are and you enjoy supporting a worthy cause, then the 4th annual SoupFest is the place for you. The collaboration between the South Congregational Church Senior Program and the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness is a soup lover’s dream. And it’s just days away.
On Saturday, the South Congregational Church at 27 Pleasant St. will be transformed into a soup extravaganza with 12 local chefs producing homemade recipes. While they’re not technically chefs in the traditional sense of working in a restaurant or even being paid to cook, each one wanted to help by bringing a family favorite to the party.
“They’re just people who love to cook and wanted to help,” said organizer Jim Kinhan.
There will be two separate seatings on Saturday, with the first going from 5 to 6:15 p.m. The second soup sit down is from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. There’s a $10 suggested donation per person, but feel free to give more if you can. It is a fundraiser after all.
“Yes it’s a fundraiser, but it’s really more than that,” said Kinhan. “It’s really a fun event.”
Your donation will get you a bowl, a spoon and a great feeling of helping those less fortunate. From there, the decisions are up to you. Take a stroll around and ask about the soups. The chefs will be on hand scooping out their original creations and eager to explain what went into them. You can try just a couple of your old time favorites or take a little of each and test all 12. We don’t recommend putting all of them together, but it’s your bowl – you can do whatever feels right.
“I love seeing people go up for the sixth or seventh time trying another new soup,” said Kinhan.
There are no tickets or reservations. Just show up with your money and start eating. But remember there are two seatings available so if you’re running late for the first one, hang out at home for a while and be the first in line for round two.
“It’s so fun because so many people come and gather. It’s a great social event,” said Ellen Fries, the co-chair at the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness. “And when is food not fun.”
We couldn’t agree more.
Oh, there will also be an assortment of artisan breads from a group of five local bakers and a dessert table, compliments of the seniors of South Church. Gluten free options will also be available.
All the money collected on Saturday will go directly to help the Concord Homeless Resource Center. The resource center provides a place for those without a permanent address to get their mail.
“It’s hard to apply for things when you don’t have an address,” said Fries.
They help with bus passes, securing identification, setting up appointments and filling out paper work for jobs and housing. And that’s just a small sample of what the resource center does. So when you hand over that crisp Alexander Hamilton, just remember that your donation truly matters. The resource center provides services to about 500 visitors per month. Information about the resource center will be on hand at the SoupFest.
“It raises awareness because the numbers keep growing,” said Fries.
The list of soups includes crab bisque, smoked sweet potato with sausage stew, clam and corn chowders (don’t worry they’re not mixed together), Ukranian beet and bean stew and many others. The variety is something you won’t find many places and again, it’s for a good cause.
“We ask each chef to bring in a soup with a back story to it,” said Kinhan. “And each year the chefs rotate.”
The SoupFest actually began six years ago when Kinhan started it with the South Church senior program. But after two years it just seemed logical to turn it into the fundraiser, especially considering the church’s involvement in helping the homeless and the fact the resource center opened in a space at the church in 2008.
“It was just natural to do it together,” said Kinhan.
In the previous three years, the SoupFest has raised around $1,000 each year for the resource center.
For more information about the SoupFest or to make a donation to the Concord Homeless Resource Center, call 290-3375.
