PORTLAND, Mich. — For the last year and a half Portland resident Sandy Trierweiler has been getting two meals a week delivered to her home from volunteers with The Soup Project.
Sandy says a huge burden is lifted knowing she will get a meal each week.
“It means I'm getting some good food. I cooked for 82 years and I'm tired of cooking.”
The Soup Project is a community led non-profit established by Portland resident Michelle Van Slambrouck. Michelle says it's a labor of love.
“I took an end-of-life doula course at the end of 2021 and in the very last course the instructor asked how we are going to benefit our community with our new skills?”
Michelle says the training gave her the skills to be a nonmedical professional providing emotional, physical, and educational support for someone nearing death.
At the time, Michelle says was caring for an elderly couple in their 90’s.
“The elderly lady was taking care of her husband. She would get done with serving breakfast and then start preparing lunch. I started thinking about the question the instructor asked us, 'what are we going to do with out new knowledge to benefit the community'? I knew I wanted to help make a big impact."
Michelle says thinking about the daily burden of her elderly friend and the fact that many elderly people are disconnected from the rest of the word, led her to the idea of the soup project.
“If we come together, we can do really great things. And so, I thought if the infrastructure is already in place in every community; churches have kitchens. There are volunteers who want to give back, but don't know what to do. And so that's kind of where this came from.”
So, every Tuesday volunteers come together at Portland’s United Methodist Church, to make soup, muffins, and other nourishing food as part of The Soup Project.
The program started in May of 2022, and since then, over 9,000 people have been fed. Each person they serve gets two meals per week and everything is donated, even the food.
Suzanne Maystead is a volunteer with the Soup Project and says it's changed the entire community for the better.
“We are so thankful that we have so many different churches, so many different groups that work together, that it doesn't matter who you are, what you are, where you're from, or what your beliefs are. Everybody comes together to help the community.”
“The community response has filled my heart," says Michelle. "I mean, it's just been amazing. It might have been my idea, but it could not be done without this community.”
Sandy Trierweiler thinks the Soup Project is a great idea and says she is appreciative of their work.
“I think they're good neighbors because all you hear anymore is the bad about everybody you hear bad, bad, Bad, bad, bad all the time. You don't hear the good and there's more good than there is bad.”
Michelle says she has big dreams for the future of The Soup Project.
“My goal is that somebody will see this and say, Wait a minute, we can do that in our community.
We want to say thank you to Michelle Van Slambrouch and all the volunteers who are a passing kindness and warm soup forward…. and making a difference by volunteering for The Soup Project.
You are all this week’s Good Neighbors.
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
