Tony Coghan approaches a table in downtown Vancouver and, with a playful smile, asks the volunteers serving hot soup, “Got steak today?”
It’s been a running joke between Coghan and the volunteers at Stone Soup Community Meal for years, so much so that he even wears a T-shirt that says, “I’m here for the steak.”
They all share a laugh before Coghan takes his steaming bowl of pozole rojo soup and joins others at a table, settling in for good conversation.
For more than a decade, a group of passionate volunteers has come together on the last Sunday of each month on the corner of Ninth Street and Broadway. They not only serve hot meals to residents in need but also aim to ignite meaningful conversations about how to create a better, stronger community in Vancouver.
One of the people behind the effort is Hector Hinojosa, who said he started the community meal as a chance for people to break bread — figuratively and literally. A typical Sunday will see about 30 people coming through the soup line and volunteers from all backgrounds, from dedicated residents to city leaders.
“The thought was: ‘Let’s do something that goes beyond feeding people, so let’s get people together around a meal and have a discussion and ask questions.’ We wanted to plant the seed for the community to talk about solutions,” Hinojosa said. “A meal can spark relationships. People will tell you their name, then their story and their needs — that’s when the solutions start sparking.”
Hinojosa said that the community meal has been a catalyst for local solutions to the housing crisis.
“Some of these conversations aren’t going to change the world. But I think some of the conversations we’ve had have been very fruitful in our community,” Hinojosa said.
‘Take care of people’
As rain whips sideways into the large canopy tent where volunteers and guests huddle, Leah Perkel tosses together a salad made up of crisp lettuce, cucumbers and crimson-red cherry tomatoes.
“There’s no questions asked about who you are. Everyone can eat. Doesn’t matter who you are,” Perkel said. “We’re at a time where there are lots of hardships even for people with jobs. But there’s no judgment here. We just listen and have a hot meal for them.”
Despite the name, the soup kitchen doesn’t just make soup but a variety of meals. In July, the group brings out the barbecue, and during Christmas, it has a tradition of making tamales. The volunteers also pass out fruit, granola bars, Gatorade and bottled water to people.
“Particularly at the end of the month, some people may be down to their last dollar and this can really help them make it to the next month and be OK,” said Coghan, a regular visitor. “This really does take care of people.”
Across the pavement, Kris Krohn and Teresa Phimister sift through half a dozen tubs filled with clothes, from winter jackets to gloves to socks. They helped a steady line of people who approached their station find clothing and sent them off with hand warmers, too.
“There’s such a need. Sometimes I feel like this won’t fix the problem, but if it gives them even a few minutes of knowing that somebody cares for them, and they have dry socks on and a snuggly jacket — it is so worth it. Maybe it helps that person have a better day, and they will probably pass that on to someone else,” Phimister said.
For the better part of a decade, Hinojosa and others funded the community meal. Last fall, Stone Soup organizers partnered with The Western Institute for Agriculture and Food Security to help gather more community donations, so they could extend their reach in the community.
The community has always been supportive of the initiative, volunteers said. During a recent Sunday meal, a woman stopped her car and ran over to hand the volunteers a monetary donation.
Compass Coffee Roasting donates coffee every month. On a recent Sunday, Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle popped by to drop off two large trays of brownies topped with caramelized apples. Over the years, more and more residents have also shown interest in helping.
“It’s people who have taken notice of what’s happening around us and want to help,” Hinojosa said.
The need has certainly grown. When Stone Soup Community Meal started, approximately 215 people were living on the streets in Clark County, according to Council for the Homeless data. Last year, about 1,370 people were homeless.
“I hope it continues to grow for more years,” Hinojosa said. “There’s still things that need to be done.”
