Soup Sisters is more than just a warm meal; it’s a hug in a bowl, offering comfort and nourishment to those in need. With over 16 years of experience in the non-profit sector, we have a passion for creating positive social impact and empowering communities to support those in need. Soup Sisters has an inherent belief in the power of simple solutions and the ability to adapt as needed. It’s through this flexibility that we’ve been able to make a difference in the lives of millions.

Founded in Calgary on March 3, 2009, Soup Sisters embodies the vision of Founder Sharon Hapton, a lifelong soup enthusiast. Inspired by her belief in the healing power of homemade soup, Sharon established Soup Sisters as a grassroots movement to support women and children fleeing family violence and youth in crisis.

Before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Soup Sisters had grown to 27 cities throughout Canada and the United States. With our dedication to delivering ‘Hugs in a Bowl’ we orchestrated the delivery of over 4 million nourishing servings of soup. This souper feat was achieved through collaborative community soup-making events, where our pots of compassion not only filled bowls but also warmed hearts in emergency shelters and social agencies nationwide.

When the pandemic shuttered the in-person events, we adapted swiftly, leading to the creation of Canada’s only Soup Bank, a social enterprise model that produces and distributes soups on a large scale. This efficient approach ensures stable food costs and maximum impact for front-line organizations serving food-insecure communities across the country. The efficiency of the Soup Bank model allowed us to expand our agency partners to include marginalized seniors, transitional housing for the homeless, low-income schools, First Nations communities, centers for drug addiction and mental health, and food banks.

Thanks to Lineage who delivers for us nationwide at no cost we’ve sustained our operations for Canadian agencies throughout these challenging years.
We continue to share the warmth and kindness in a Hug in a Bowl.

KEY MILESTONES:

‘Soup for Syrians’ was a special initiative produced by the soup Sisters organization in winter of 2016 to welcome Syrian refugees to Canada by giving them the comfort of soup made with the compassion of the community.
​
More than 1000 community soup-makers gave of their time to participate in a fast-paced soup-a-thon in Calgary, Lethbridge and Ottawa using culturally comforting family recipes. After 5 full day sessions of soup-making over 10,000 servings of soup were distributed through local outreach programs from East to West.

Our first bestselling cookbook came out in 2012, followed by a second edition in 2014, and our next cookbook Souper Kids in Fall 2017. All of our books published by Random House have been a source of income towards our operations.

AWARDS:

Soup Sisters Founder Sharon Hapton has been recognized for her work regionally and nationally, selected as one of Chatelaine’s and CityTV’s Women of the Year, Global Television’s Woman of Vision, featured in Women of Influence Magazine, and chosen by YWCA – She Who Dares Honouring 150 Women through 150+ years. In 2016 Sharon received the Meritorious Service Medal, by the Governor General of Canada on behalf of the Queen for bringing honour to Canada through performing exceptional deeds.