by David Hays, Assistant Director

"Cooking for other people is an act of love," said 4th year Amy Woodruff in the Uncommon Room in Rockefeller Chapel.  She came to last night's reading of Soup and Bread: Building Community One Pot at a Time to connect with like-minded students, staff, and community members.  The event, featuring author Martha Bayne, was sponsored by the University Community Service Center (UCSC), the Chicago Studies Program, and the Spiritual Life Office.

The Soup & Bread book grew out of an event that Bayne created at the Hideout - a bar and music venue on the Near North Side.  According to Bayne, Soup and Bread evenings were hatched when she realized that early Wednesday evenings were a slow time at the bar.  She suggested to the bar's owners bringing soup and asking for donations to organizations addressing hunger.  The owners, who see the Hideout as a community building space, immediately jumped on board.  The first Soup and Bread event had about 20 attendees and raised money for the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

From these humble beginnings, Soup and Bread has grown over four years into a weekly tradition attracting upwards of a hundred weekly attendees.  Everyone from big-name chefs to artists and musicians has donated soup and bread over the years.  The list of local hunger relief efforts that have benefited continues to grow.