ORGANIC SOUP KITCHEN

Organic Soup Kitchen aims to provide clean food to heal people and the planet. We not only provide critical food security to our most vulnerable community members, we also provide nutritional security. Nutritional security is the belief that all individuals deserve access to the right food to prevent or alleviate diet related diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

As our operation grows, we remain mindful of our impact on the planet. We are a leader in the organic health food industry and prioritize production and distribution initiatives that reduce our carbon footprint. All of our packaging is 100% compostable and we salvage and stabilize hundreds of pounds of produce each week that would otherwise end up in the landfill. We are the central hub for the City of Santa Barbara’s composting program.

Our mission is in direct alignment with several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) set forth by the United Nation’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policy. Organizations like ours can take impactful steps and offer creative solutions to ensure the sustainability of our people and planet.

2. ZERO HUNGER
Provide food security to the most vulnerable and medically fragile Santa Barbara County residents, primarily cancer patients, chronically ill and low income seniors.

700+ community members served weekly, 90% low income, 95% age 65+, 90% battling cancer or chronic illness.

3. GOOD HEALTH & WELLBEING
Provide plant based nutrition hand crafted from clean, chemical free medicinal quality ingredients formulated to strengthen the immune system and heal the body on a cellular level.

Break the chain of isolation and reduce stress by providing weekly personal interaction with compassionate volunteer delivery drivers.

4. QUALITY EDUCATION
As a composting hub for the City of Santa Barbara, we educate the community about the impact of wasted food and the ways composting contributes to the health of our local food supply and feeds our Santa Barbara County soils.

Present and provide educational content to local organizations interested in learning more about the relationship between nutrition and chronic illness.

5. GENDER EQUALITY
Gender parity in leadership roles and board of directors.

7. AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY
Transition kitchen and office facility to 100% energy efficient LED lighting.

10. REDUCED INEQUALITIES
Achieve diversity, equity and inclusion across all spectrums of staffing, leadership and board composition.

Ensure an inclusive and diverse workplace and promote diverse communities.

12. RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
Prioritizing the use of local organic ingredients in every recipe, we support responsible agriculture and a shift towards more sustainable patterns of consumption.

13. CLIMATE ACTION
Become a plastic free organization by transitioning to environmentally friendly compostable SoupMeal containers.

Through our robust zero waste food rescue program, we flash freeze and stabilize thousands of pounds of fresh produce each week to minimize waste and reduce our carbon footprint.

Primary site for drop off and pick up for City of Santa Barbara’s Commercial Food Scraps Composting Program.

17. PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS
Contribute to the local productivity and incomes of small scale food producers, primarily through partnerships with local farms and produce providers.

Collaborate with local health and human services agencies aligned with our mission to broaden our reach in the community.

Organic Soup Kitchen strives for collective impact to advance its mission and achieve goals. We believe that our planet and people benefit when like minded agencies come together to set forth creative solutions for change. Through a robust community partner initiative, we collaborate with medical and public service organizations aligned with our mission to understand and expand our reach to our most vulnerable and underserved populations. Our sophisticated software system enables us to track and record measurable outcomes for all of our clients ensuring that their nutritional needs are being met. Our organization is 85% volunteer led which reduces overhead and ensures that resources go directly to the product and service we provide. Through an established business model and a team with 12 years of production and distribution experience, we have the capability to reach and exceed our goals.

Our organization plays a significant role in the health and economic well-being of Santa Barbara’s most vulnerable residents impacting the lives of thousands every year. As government agencies and the private sector scale back charitable giving in recent years, our agency provides an indispensable public service. Organic Soup Kitchen not only strengthens the health and wellbeing of our clients but its impact has a ripple effect on the entire Santa Barbara community.

Cancer and chronic illness are on the rise. In Santa Barbara County alone, there are nearly 25,000 residents with cancer according to the American Cancer Society. Research shows processed foods, full of sugar, sodium and fat, are addictive and cause inflammation which perpetuates the cycle of chronic illness. According to the 2020 Santa Barbara Foundation Community Report, one in four people are food insecure in Santa Barbara County. We provide a service that is unique in its approach. While there are other food distribution sites, we are the only organization in the country hand crafting clinically researched SoupMeals and delivering them to the doorsteps of more than 700 community members each week. We fill a gap by making fully prepared meals with clean, anti-inflammatory ingredients that support the compromised immune systems of seniors, cancer patients and chronically ill. We have an established business model with the potential for broad scale replication in other communities.