The Organic Soup Kitchen in Santa Barbara is asking for community support as it works to continue providing nourishing meals to people whose health depends on consistent access to food.
The nonprofit serves more than 800 people each week, many of whom live with chronic illnesses that make grocery shopping and meal preparation difficult.
“Most of our demographic is seniors, and these seniors took care of all of us when we were kids,” said Anthony Carroccio, Organic Soup Kitchen Executive Director. “But now that they’re older, living alone with chronic diseases, they don’t have the horsepower to make a meal or go shopping.”
Over the past year, the organization partnered with a local health care provider to deliver medically tailored meals to individuals experiencing acute medical needs. That funding now typically covers just about 12 weeks of meals per person.
While short-term nutrition support can help stabilize health, Carroccio said many people living with cancer, autoimmune diseases and other chronic conditions need ongoing access to nutritious food.
“We’re gathering all these folks that really need our help, and we can only serve them for 12 weeks and then we have to tell them no more,” Carroccio said. “Or, we can continue serving them and figure out where we’re going to get the funding.”
The Organic Soup Kitchen also partners with local organizations to help distribute food throughout the region. One of those partners is Veggie Rescue, which delivers donated soups and fresh produce to community sites.
“They donate soup for us, and we take it to different places, like the Buellton Senior Center,” said Olga Leatherbury, a staff member with Veggie Rescue. “That way, people can get nutrient-dense soups and produce that they would normally just not get.”
The Organic Soup Kitchen says community members can support its mission by donating directly or by purchasing soups from the kitchen, with proceeds going toward continued meal service.
