20 Tips For Organizing Your Neighbourhood Hot Soup Event

 

 

My husband and I have offered an open house soup event for neighbours for the past eleven years. Here is what has made ours successful, if you want to try your own event.

 

BE FRIENDLY

1. Have your house warm and tidy before people arrive. Play Christmas music
2. Welcome everyone individually as they come in and offer them soup
3. Introduce people to each other and encourage them to connect
4. If your flyer says ‘children welcome’, parents will come and be grateful
5. Hang out a bit with the kids, so their parents have a chance to chat and eat

 

BE STRATEGIC

1. Make an attractive flyer on Christmas paper, with a photo of you and your house
2. Hand deliver your invitation for best success –introduce yourself and give flyer
3. Be clear people can pop in briefly for soup and leave, or stay and chat
4. Make it easy for people to come – tell them they don’t have to bring anything
5. Create a map of your street to help you remember names and where people live

 

BE ORGANISED

1. Make sure flyer has your contact info, start /end time and request to RSVP
2. A 2 hour window works well, e.g. 11.30am – 1.30pm
3. Put up a welcome sign on your front door. Make it easy to find
4. Have name tags on a table as people come in, so they can wear a name badge
5. Have a signup sheet available so people can add their contact information
6. Buy or borrow at least 20 soup bowls in case a lot of people arrive at once
7. Keep bowls washed up so there are enough clean bowls available.
8. Make the soup the day before so the flavours can develop
9. Have tomato soup available for children
10. A good source of soup recipes is “Moosewood Restaurant Cooks For A Crowd”

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Copyright to Grace Gerry, Graceful Solutions, Dec 2013