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Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers coming to Dufferin County

February 9, 2017   ·   0 Comments

Following months of careful planning and precise preparation, one Dufferin County resident is looking forward to launching a “sisterhood” unlike anything the region has ever seen before.

Lori Robertshaw first bought into the premise behind Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers in early 2016 after spending a significant amount of time searching for a local “backyard” charitable organization she could dedicate her volunteer energy towards. Now, she’s hoping to expose the entire community to the necessary service the association provides.

“Soup Sisters is a fantastic organization that has been in existence in Canada since 2009 and centres around the idea of local residents coming together to cook up wonderful soups, which are then donated to different women and children shelters throughout the community,” Ms. Robertshaw told the Citizen.

The organization was founded by Sharon Hapton in Calgary almost eight years ago and today boasts 29 chapters across Canada and the United States. In total, more than 750,000 servings of nurturing and nourishing homemade soup has been distributed to thousands of shelters across the continent. As she has made a habit of doing in the past, Ms. Hapton will be on hand at the Dufferin County chapter’s launch event later this month.

Here in Orangeville, Family Transition Place has been identified as the sole beneficiary of the local Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers chapter’s efforts once the group officially introduces itself to Dufferin County with its inaugural cooking event on Feb. 26, held at Lavender Blue Catering and Café in Mono. There, individuals will be initiated into the Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers community and will receive a special organization apron and cookbook before “cooking up a storm” in the kitchen and then enjoying the fruits of their labour with a meal made up of fresh bread, soup and salad. There will also be wine on hand at each meeting.

“There haven’t been too many times in my life where I’ve been able to say I cannot wait for something, but this is one of those times,” Ms. Robertshaw said. “We’re so excited to get started here in Dufferin County – it’s a long time coming.”

Ms. Robertshaw states individuals can sign up for the initial launch event at a one-time cost of $95, with every other monthly meeting after that coming at a cost of $55. While the cost may seem a little hefty, Ms. Robertshaw was quick to point out a similar spread at a restaurant would come in at a similar price, without the fun to be had with fellow Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers, and without the obvious advantage of helping a worthwhile cause in the community.

While Ms. Robertshaw has worked to get Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers off the ground in Dufferin County, she hasn’t had to do it alone. Lavender Blue Catering and Café owners Vanessa Kreuzer and Terry Doel have each chipped in with their own thoughts and ideas on how best to introduce the organization to the community, while also offering up their facility to host the monthly cooking events.

As the big day approaches, Ms. Robertshaw says she’s excited to bring an organization she believes should be active in every community where there is a women’s shelter, to Dufferin County.

“Anybody can write a cheque and donate to a charity of their choice, but Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers is different. We’re hands on and really just try to get the message across that our soup was made by someone in the community that cares. At the end of the day, we want these women and children to know that they’re not alone and that they are loved,” Ms. Robertshaw said.

She added, “There really is nothing else like this in Dufferin County. Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers is going to be a mainstay in this community – you can count us in for the long haul. Once this thing catches on, it’s going to take off in a big, big way. I can just taste it.”

For more information on Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers or to enquire about registration for the upcoming event in Dufferin County, visit www.soupsisters.org or send an email to Orangeville@soupsisters.org.

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