“Soup’s On!”
That call started the third annual Soup’s On for Equity fundraiser (formerly Soup for the Soul) on Monday, Feb. 16, as about 140 soup-tasting community members, Center for Food Equity in Medicine (CFFEIM) volunteers and chefs from around Chicagoland gathered at the Flossmoor Community Church Community House.
The CFFEIM collaborated with Maureen Mader, president of the Flossmoor Business Association and owner of Dunning’s Gourmet Market & Deli in Flossmoor, to organize Soup’s on for Equity. Mader recruited many of the chefs and helped the CFFEIM get the word out about the event.
About 20 chefs lined the hall, standing in front of pots of steaming soup. The soups were varied. Some chefs served one type of soup while others served more than one.
Chefs served their specialties in portions for small cups or bowls. Attendees could sample as many different soups as they wanted and come back for seconds or thirds of the same soup. If a community member wanted to take soup home, volunteers sold tickets for quart-sized carry-out containers.
Many chefs returned from previous years, while others were new participants. They represented restaurants, catering businesses and homes throughout Chicagoland.
Stef Anderson, owner of the catering business Black Pepper Kitchen, said he experienced food insecurity growing up. He said serving his soup at the event for the second year in a row made him feel great.
The event raised about $5,000 this year, according to Ann Jackson, CFEEIM executive director and founder. The Flossmoor-based nonprofit organizes community pop-ups and delivers food to families struggling with cancer and other life-altering health conditions.
“This is an amazing organization that does so much for our community,” said Flossmoor resident Troy Holmes. “Ann Jackson has a heart so much bigger than anyone I know.”
Nadja Sowell, the organization’s client success manager, served wine, soft drinks and beer to attendees. Todd VanBurren, a sound technician and CFFEIM volunteer, was the DJ for the event.
Homewood-Flossmoor High School culinary student Brooklyn McCary prepared French onion soup, and students Tate Thompson and Nyla Murry prepared broccoli cheddar soup.
LaTasha C. Scott, a culinary teacher at H-F, led the student chefs and called herself a “proud mama bear.”
A crowd gathers inside Flossmoor Community House for the third annual Soup's on for Equity. (Nick Ulanowski / H-F Chronicle)
The event was scheduled from 4:30 to 8 p.m., but about half the chefs were completely out of soup by 6:30 p.m. After almost all the soup was gone, the event concluded about a half hour early.
Any soup left at the end of the evening was frozen and donated to CFFEIM clients, Jackson said.
Jackson said that in previous years, some attendees would try a soup, enjoy it and return to buy a quart later, only to realize it was all gone. This year, Jackson said seasoned attendees prevented this by buying quarts earlier in the evening, causing soups to run out earlier.
“Even though it was a blending of a lot of different cultures, each chef, you could experience their uniqueness,” Jackson said. “It was a beautiful medley of spices and interpretations of recipes.”
The soup event is a signature fundraiser for CFFEIM, Jackson said. She’s already planning for the next one on Presidents Day 2027.
