La Soupe’s Rescue Kitchen Network Is Growing, and it’s Looking for New Partners
Graduates of the Capacity Building Program’s second cohort at the Ohio Governor’s mansion with Governor and First Lady DeWine.
Big things are cooking in La Soupe’s kitchen—literally and figuratively.
La Soupe’s Rescue Kitchen Network Is Growing – and it’s Looking for New Partners
This year, La Soupe is inspiring new kitchens from Cleveland to Baton Rouge.
We’re thrilled to share that the second cohort of La Soupe’s Capacity Building Program has officially graduated! These rockstar organizations are now stepping into the next phase: scaling up their kitchens and launching their Rescue Kitchens to fight food waste and food insecurity in their communities.
This latest cohort includes:
Together, these groups are aiming to produce at least 130,000 meals over the next year as they build out their facilities and expand operations. Now that they have completed the Capacity Building Program, these organizations graduate into the Rescue Kitchen Network, a group of commissaries around the country distributing transformed food at scale to organizations on the front lines.
What’s a Rescue Kitchen, Anyway?
At its core, a Rescue Kitchen takes surplus food—ingredients that might otherwise end up in the trash—and turns it into healthy, chef-prepared meals for people who need them. It’s a powerful solution to a pretty outrageous statistic: more than 30% of food grown in the U.S. is wasted.
La Soupe’s first Capacity Building Cohort, made up of three Ohio-based nonprofits, has already proven what’s possible. In just one year, these organizations have:
Created over 250,000 meals (a 150% increase over the previous year)
Rescued over one million pounds of food from going to landfills (yep, that’s more than 500 tons of impact)
These meals are then distributed through community hubs—think schools, senior centers, rec sites, and food pantries—where they’re put to immediate use.
Backed by a Community of Support
Of course, none of this happens without serious teamwork. A big thank you to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, the Joe Burrow Foundation, and the local food businesses like SugarCreek and Bellisio Foods that help identify and coordinate food rescue opportunities. Their support is critical to helping us grow this movement.
Ready to Join the Movement?
We’re not done yet! Applications are now open for La Soupe’s third cohort of the Capacity Building Program. If you’re a nonprofit or food-focused organization looking to launch or scale a Rescue Kitchen in your community, we’d love to hear from you. Organizations are reviewed on a rolling basis for the program launching in September.
Want more info? Reach out to Katie Funk at kfunk@lasoupe.org. Let’s keep rescuing food and feeding communities together.
