Four teams of CC students presented proposals aimed at innovative and long-term solutions to food insecurity, homelessness, and chronic poverty at CC’s Soup Project Challenge this spring. The Soup Project, a collaboration between the Collaborative for Community Engagement and the Innovation Institute, seeks to build on the Community Kitchen’s legacy of working to address the needs of the local community.
Grits:
Paige Clark ’16, Ben Criswell ’16, and Caitlin Canty ’16 received $13,000. The students will partner with a local community outreach program to run a weekly writing and visual arts program. The workshops will culminate in a publication titled Grits, to be included in a weekly Colorado Springs newspaper, featured in installments on KRCC, Colorado College’s NPR-member radio station, in art exhibits on- and off-campus, and in a permanent archive space in the CC library so that students and faculty have access to primary sources for research on homelessness, poverty, and hunger.
Mobile Meals:
Sophie Javna ’16, Andy Post ’16, Jonah Goldman ’15, and Ben Feldman ’15 received $12,000. Mobile Meals aims to partner with local organizations to bring healthy food and educational programs to communities in need. They hope to synthesize and ultimately enhance the programs of the local organizations by providing a free meal and developing food education programs for low-income, low-access communities. The group also plans cooking classes and community gardening programs.
Ponderosa Pastries:
Kyra Wolf ’17, Madeline Lee ’17, and Claire Vernon ’17 received $9,000. Ponderosa Pastries envisions partnering with a local “pay-what-you-can” café to create a student-run café that connects students and the community through food and art. Ponderosa Pastries will use the café space in the evenings for baking and arts programs, and in return will write grants for the café.
The Family Day Center:
Siena Faughnan ’18, Sierra Wilbar ’18, and Taylor Wright ’18 received $7,000. The students’ goal is to create both short- and long-term solutions for families experiencing homelessness by providing a safe, community-based space and support system responsive to the unique needs of homeless families. The students envision an all-inclusive space that provides families access to a variety of resources and services without trips to multiple agencies throughout the city.
The initial $20,000 allocated to fund the student-designed projects jumped to $40,000 through the generosity of a CC trustee impressed with the students’ passion, creativity, and resourcefulness in working with existing community partners.
