There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but a new concept in Squamish will give locals the chance to experience a hot, fresh meal for no charge.
The Squamish Soup Works project is a new partnership of the Squamish Lions, G-Van Catering, Nesters Market, the Squamish Nation, Squamish Savings and the Helping Hands Society with the aim of providing hot meals for children and families in Squamish.
Approximately 100 litres of soup will be given out to all who want to sample it next Wednesday (May 7) from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Squamish Seniors Centre.
Dave Thomson of the Squamish Lions said the idea came about after he and others noticed a gap in the accessibility for young people to get a free hot meal in Squamish.
“A mother or father can go get food from the Squamish Food Bank or Helping Hands, but they can’t leave with food from Helping Hands and no kids go in there to eat,” he said. “At the end of the day, what happens is that if mom or dad don’t want to cook food or don’t have the resources to do so, then the young child won’t get a hot meal.”
He said a hot meal can do a lot to help build bonds in the community.
“The idea eventually will be for all of us to break bread together as a community,” he said. “There’s nothing like sharing a meal together and the big goal is for everyone to sit down and enjoy some healthy and hearty food together as a community.”
Thomson said the project is designed to be a complement to existing community food resources and they will use produce from Nesters that is near the end of its shelf life and would otherwise be thrown out. Chef Gregg Van Hierden from G-Van Catering will create the soup and the Squamish Lions will hand out the goods in one-litre, biodegradable containers.
The first soup will be a ginger-carrot concoction and Thomson said the event will return sometime in the future after they receive feedback from the inaugural event.
“The point of May 7 is to introduce this to the community and see what kind of interest there is,” he said. “We will have quick surveys with questions on where the location should be and what kind of soup people want.”
It’s not a sit-down event as everyone is encouraged to take the container home and cook it up in the comfort of their own home.
“Everybody is welcome, but we are a little more focused on kids getting that hot and healthy meal,” he said. “We hope the project gets inserted into the overall food strategy of the community and gets a life of its own. We want to serve the community as often as it needs based on what the community tells us.”
Thomson said they are still looking for volunteers and all interested can find out more information by visiting www.squamishlions.ca.
