‘Measure With Your Heart’: How a 16-Year-Old Hydroponic Farmer Honors His Grandmother’s Legacy With La Soupe
When 16-year-old Malon E.D. James stepped foot into La Soupe’s headquarters for the first time, he finally understood how Charlie Bucket felt crossing the threshold of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
Like the whimsical, beautifully bizarre setting of author Roald Dahl’s famous 1964 novel, La Soupe seemed to exist in its own pocket of time and space as far as James was concerned.
“You turn a corner or step into a new room, and the whole atmosphere shifts—different music, different tasks, different rhythms, distinct characters as if you’ve crossed into another section of the building entirely,” James said in an email. “Nothing repeats from the room before it.”
Cheffin’ It Up: Mona Bronson-Fuqua Connects Students With Their ‘Cultural Inheritance’ at La Soupe and Beyond
The Cheffin’ It Up series showcases La Soupe’s in-house cooks, contract instructors, and volunteers, exploring the core ingredients that make up their distinct character in the kitchen.
Even as a young girl, Mona Bronson-Fuqua knew she wanted to be a chef. But making that dream come true took time, patience, and a little push from those closest to her.
Game, Set, Match: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at La Soupe’s Partnership With the Cincinnati Open
This year, the Cincinnati Open set a new attendance record by welcoming over 300,000 visitors to the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. But after the court lights dimmed and the winners raised their trophies, La Soupe still had one victory left to claim: surplus food, graciously donated by Levy Restaurants when matches wrapped up.
La Soupe Welcomes Inaugural Guest Chef Gabi Odebode, Fosters Culinary and Cultural Education
For Chef Gabi Odebode, the power of a “good meal” extends far beyond the dinner plate.
Meeting Halfway: La Soupe and Church on Fire Form Full-Circle Partnership, Feed Thousands in Cincinnati and Beyond
Every Wednesday, hundreds of families seek food assistance from La Soupe and Church on Fire Outreach. The operation’s scale is remarkable, but so is the collaboration behind it.
More Than Just Showing Up: My Experience Volunteering at La Soupe
I never thought volunteering would become something I genuinely look forward to, but La Soupe changed that for me.
As Gen Z, we are often connected through screens. We care about issues like food waste and hunger, but we are not always physically involved in our communities. Volunteering with La Soupe is a chance for something different. It pulls you off your phone and puts you into real action with real impact. Fighting food insecurity with La Soupe, you're not just hearing about change. You are part of it.
Field Notes: Jazz in a Rescue Kitchen
Step inside La Soupe and you’ll find something that looks like chaos, but runs with surprising rhythm. Volunteers, chefs, and ever-changing ingredients come together in a system that doesn’t rely on rigid rules, but on adaptability, trust, and flow. It’s less like a traditional kitchen and more like a jazz band, improvising in real time to create something cohesive and impactful. Curious how it all works? Read more about the unique rhythm behind our rescue kitchen.
Advancing Our Food as Medicine Work: A Strategic Shift in How We Deliver Impact
La Soupe is entering a new chapter in how we deliver our Food as Medicine program. After years of learning through pilots and partnerships, we’re making a strategic shift to expand our reach and serve more individuals with medically tailored meals. What’s changing and why now?
Learn more about how this evolution will help us scale impact, strengthen partnerships, and bring nourishing food to more people who need it most.
Where Our Forks Point: Reflections on Change, Community, and the Future of Food
At La Soupe, we believe that chefs are catalysts for change. We’re more than cooks. We’re educators, advocates, and connectors shaping what’s grown, how it’s grown, and how it’s shared. But this influence isn’t ours alone. Every home cook, volunteer, and eater has power. Every farmers market visit, every choice to support a local business, every hour given to a community kitchen helps build a better system.
Turning Good Food into Good Days Across Our Community
At La Soupe, our mission is clear: rescue nutritious food, transform it with care, and share it as ready-to-eat meals that nourish our community. Every partnership we build is rooted in that purpose — ensuring good food never goes to waste and that neighbors can count on dignified, delicious meals.
Celebrating the Heart of La Soupe: Our Volunteers
Every hour volunteered, every mile driven, and every meal saved fuels La Soupe’s mission. As we celebrate ten years of operation and look ahead to what’s next, we do so with deep gratitude for the volunteers who continue to show up — quietly, generously, and wholeheartedly.
You are the heart of La Soupe. Thank you for making this work possible.