Love, Lauren: Soup Kitchen

The creation of Love, Lauren was made possible by a longtime volunteer of Judy’s Kindness Kitchen, Lauren Smith. Lauren grew up with a passion for addressing widespread hunger. At a very young age (even before consideration of a career) she dreamt of establishing soup kitchens. In 2008, Lauren’s mother, Cindy, started bringing her and her brother to Judy’s once or twice a month. They’d prepare soup, sandwiches, and snacks with a large group of people from all over RI. But the best part of all was when they brought the food over to Crossroads and personally handed it out to the folks there. On account of the special moments Lauren shared with these individuals, she realized that there is no greater way to make an impact than to see the joy it brings to someone other than yourself.

In addition to recognizing the need through her time at Judy’s, Lauren has resided in Providence for most of her adult years; she understands the ubiquitous food insecurity in her community. Given the difficult times we’re all experiencing now, it just felt right to take a stab at seeing her vision through. 

If you’d like to get involved with prep work on Saturdays or perhaps some behind-the-scenes responsibilities, please reach out to Lauren at Lauren.Smith.PVD@gmail.com.

Love, Lauren is a soup kitchen that operates out of a community kitchen in East Greenwich. On Saturday mornings, ~20 really awesome people gather (appropriately distanced, of course) to prep bagged lunches for those in need. The lunches are then distributed throughout Providence to various shelters and locations where the need is prevalent.