I first meet Scott in the room that he loves most in his life – the kitchen. It is a Monday and we are at SOUP in Wolfville. SOUP stands for Sharing Our Underappreciated Produce and is a community program under the umbrella of the Canadian Mental Health Association Kings (CMHA). It is a skill building food security program for anyone and everyone, where free, hot meals are served each day in a variety of locations across Kings County.
I make a point of saying it is a Monday, because Scott works a job where he has Mondays off. But instead of getting errands done or relaxing with a book on the sofa, you can find Scott here in the SOUP Kitchen, choosing to volunteer his time.
We talk and he tells me he "loves to be creative in the kitchen. SOUP is a great place for that because you never know what produce you will be working with, and thus you are never quite sure what you are going to make. I love the challenge.”
Scott’s passion clearly is cooking … but as I sit on a stool watching him stir the soup he is making for the day, it becomes obvious that his passion extends beyond the kitchen at this particular place.
As I’m interviewing him a little girl comes into the kitchen with her Mom wanting to see what is going to be served for lunch. With Mom’s permission Scott scoops her up and shows her the soup he is working on and talks to her about her day. His joy in this interaction nearly equals hers … and I think to myself it sure isn’t difficult to see what a difference he is making, or how his volunteer time is extremely well spent and appreciated by all who come here.
(And by the way … the actual soup is pretty great too!)
If you are interested in volunteering for SOUP contact Sarah MacDonald at 902 691-1296 or growhappyfood@gmail.com
Thank you to Scott and the SOUP Program for having me visit them. If you are interested in having one of your amazing volunteers profiled on our website, contact Karrie-Ann at 902-678-1398 or coordinator@kingsvolunteerresourcecentre.ca