Downriver Salvation Army serves up soup for a good cause

 

By SUE SUCHYTA

Sunday Times Newspapers

SOUTHGATE – From chili to chocolate, soups from across Downriver offered steamy, mouth-watering temptation during the Wyandotte-based Salvation Army Downriver Corps’ annual Soup Day program fundraiser March 11 at the Grecian Center.    

Lt. Shawn Sutter Sr. of the Salvation Army Downriver said the event helps fund its Breaking Bread meal share program.

“These funds will go directly back into the community,” he said. “It doesn’t go to supporting any other program but to help feed the Downriver communities.”

Sutter said more than 25 different soups were offered by local restaurants, as well as the Jo Brighton and Madison School centers.

“It’s just amazing to watch all the vendors and all the people that are here, excited, and it’s just a great turnout,” he said. “We give thanks to the whole Downriver community for the support that we’ve received, not only today but through all of our fundraisers.”

Lt. Audrey Sutter said the goodness of people is a blessing.

“I know people get excited about the soups and stuff, but just coming to donate and help our food pantry is amazing,” she said. “People always show up for us, so we are really thankful for that.”

Sutter said their food pantry has been in demand amid the climate of uncertainty, and they have experienced a big uptick in need.

“Anybody can come,” she said. “There are no cost restrictions, and if you need help with food, we can definitely help.”

Audrey Sutter said her husband Shawn Sutter’s chicken gnocchi soup is her favorite. 

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to keep going, because it’s a lot of effort, but it’s so worth it,” she said.

Carol Ann Owens of Carey Ann’s Clown Caravan, who created the interior signage for Soup Day, was serving as “Ballot Betty” to facilitate attendee voting, which included categories for best overall soup, best dessert soup, most unique soup and the best display.

“The Salvation Army does so much for the community in bringing food and help to the families, and this money goes straight into it,” she said. “I’m loving it, and I’m full!”

 

Owens credited the volunteers and the Grecian Center for the event’s success.

Another volunteer, Nicole Johnson from Wyandotte’s Madison Center, a special education program for students ages 3 to 26 with multiple impairments, brought an apple pie soup, while the students from Jo Brighton Work Skills Center, with whom they share a building, made taco soup, and the bakery made a crumble with whip cream and cornbread.

“Our students are all learning life skills, and we make soup all the time at our building and they were able to fundraise for the ingredients,” she said. “So, it was 100 percent developed by them, shopped by them and made by them.”

Johnson said apple pie soup tastes just like a pie except it is in soup form, with golden raisins, apples, cinnamon, allspice, cloves “and love” as its ingredients.

“It’s wonderful to see everybody coming together for the community to do something good for those in need,” she said.

Fellow teacher Jean Fuller, who teaches baking at Jo Brighton, said their vocational program teaches students with special needs through bakery and kitchen classrooms that serves lunch to the school and are open to the public as a restaurant.

“I am very proud of my students – they’re so responsible and they’re being so respectful, and I just love seeing them out in the community and just showcasing everything we’ve taught them,” she said.