Neufeld reflects on two decades of Soup’s On

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This article was published 14/07/2024 (358 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Soup’s On founder Joy Neufeld is laying down her ladle as the administrator and all-around boss of the organization, only to pick it back up again as a dedicated volunteer.

Neufeld was honoured on July 6 as Soup’s On celebrated 20 years of service and announced her official retirement.

Dedication may not be a strong enough word to describe what Neufeld has brought to the soup kitchen in Steinbach over the years, and it’s no surprise to many that she won’t just walk away.

“I’m passing on to younger minds, the right to dream and grow this program,” Neufeld, who turns 70 in a couple of months said. “That means I step back totally but I become a very loyal volunteer.”

Soup’s On commenced operations on July 6, 2004, and Neufeld said she made the decision to step back in 2024 only 10 years into running the program.

“I kind of promised my family that when I turned 70, I would slow down and have time for them,” she said.

Five years ago, she presented her board with a succession plan that would ensure the right people were in place.

Kari Bachmeier will take over administrative tasks and social media. Norma Hildebrand will run the lunch program and Meredith Froese will be the supper program coordinator.

“We have really good people in place,” Neufeld said. “They will do a great job.”

The idea for the soup kitchen came to Neufeld several years before it became a reality. In January of 2004 she started planning in earnest, visiting Winnipeg soup kitchens and talking to local organizations to assess the need.

In April of that year she approached Grace Mennonite Church, asking them if she could run it out of the basement auditorium. They immediately said yes.

Neufeld recalls that while a significant number of people saw the need, there were some who questioned the idea, thinking Steinbach did not need a soup kitchen. One of those was at the celebration on July 6. “He’s become one of my biggest supporters both financially and emotionally,” she said.

Neufeld still recalls that first meal, replicated every year on the anniversary. It was spaghetti and meat sauce served to about 17 guests.

“Now on a busy Tuesday, we can be nearly 80,” she said.

Numbers do fluctuate, and Neufeld said often a regular will disappear after finding employment. “They come when there’s a need and they don’t when there’s not,” she said.

She encounters many people who had a need at one time but no longer do. Some return with financial support to help the soup kitchen continue the work they do.

Neufeld said while the food itself fills a need, there’s also a strong sense of community.

She’s attended baby showers and weddings for those who used the services.

“We really do become family,” she said. “It’s an amazing environment and it’s an honour for me to be a part of their lives. I consider it a huge honour that they share their lives with me.”

Community support keeps food and cash donations coming in, and a skill for budgeting and meal planning allows Neufeld to make magic in the kitchen.

“There are times I have spent maybe $1.75 per meal and then there are times I literally have spent 10 cents,” she said. “I sometimes get a donation that covers the entire meal.”

In fact, Neufeld said she doesn’t think she’s every paid more than $2 for a meal.

That skill also comes from being flexible, not matter what is donated.

She recalled a time a local business donated leftover wieners from a hotdog lunch they held for staff and customers.

“So, what do you do with literally a couple of hundred wieners other than turn it into a wiener lasagna?” she asked. “And it was amazing.”

There are no regrets for Neufeld when she looks back at two decades of 30-40 hour weeks spent serving her community.

“It’s been amazing. It’s been incredible,” she said. “I’d do it all over again in a split second.”

Neufeld is confident the team in place will do a great job, and she hopes to see Soup’s On continue to serve the community as long as it’s needed.

She also thanked Grace Mennonite Church for their willingness to host the organization.

“I live at the church for free,” she said. (Though she referred to Soup’s On existence at the church rather than her own, she admits she’s been known to sneak naps on the library couch as needed.) “I don’t pay rent. I don’t pay hydro. I don’t pay water.”

“They have surrounded me with love and support for 20 years and I could not have done this without the support of my church family.”