Come meet our September presenters!

Fall is here, and we’re getting ready to kick off our fourth season here at SoupGrant! We can’t wait to meet our presenters on Thursday, but before we hear from them, here’s a brief intro to their work in the Lansing community.

Young Entrepreneurs Academy

Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is an after-school program whose aim is to transform local high school students into real, confident entrepreneurs. Students generate ideas, conduct research, write plans, and pitch to investors to launch their own companies. If YEA! wins this month’s grant, they’ll put the funds toward student registration fees. For more info on YEA!, check out their website.

Lettuce Live Well

We heard from Lettuce Live Well in June, and they’re back to compete again. Lettuce believes that nutrition education should be free and accessible for all people. They run guided supermarket tours and one-on-on nutrition coaching to make Lansing a healthier city. This month’s grant would help Lettuce fund their grocery store tours and give resources directly back to the community. To learn more about Lettuce Live Well, visit their site here.

We look forward to seeing you this Thursday at 6:30! Don’t forget your bowl and spoon!

It’s Our Birthday!

Three years ago, SoupGrant Lansing opened its doors for the first time. Over the years, we’ve connected countless community members and helped over thirty Lansing organizations reach their goals. This Thursday, we’re celebrating our birthday with a special reunion Soup!

Come out and join us as we welcome back Lansing Track Club, Gateway’s TRUE Project and Helping Women Period. As usual, there will be tons of soup for all tastes – and birthday cake! Bring your friends and family for a great meal and great ideas.

To learn about this month’s presenters, click here.

Meet Our August Presenters!

This month, we’ll be hearing presentations from three of our past favorites: Lansing Track Club, Gateway’s TRUE Project, and Helping Women Period. Here’s a little more information about each of them.

Lansing Track Club

Lansing Area Track Club is a nonprofit that offers sports to families in south Lansing. They aim to reach families with single parents, multiple children, or low incomes, and offer their kids an inexpensive extracurricular that gets them up and moving. If Lansing Track Club wins this month’s grant, they will put the money toward new uniforms, track equipment, and transportation assistance for working parents. For more information, visit the Track Club’s Facebook page.

TRUE

TRUE is an LGBTQ teen support group that meets weekly in Lansing. They provide positive social connections for youth who may feel alienated at school or home. Some current group activities include therapeutic art projects, education about sexual health and other LGBTQ issues, and trips to community events. This month’s grant would help TRUE coordinate group events and continue serving Lansing’s youth. For more information on TRUE, check out their Facebook page here.

Helping Women Period

Helping Women Period is a nonprofit that partners with charities to provide pads and tampons for low income and homeless women. WIC, SNAP, and other government assistance programs do not provide feminine products. Helping Women Period’s mission is to fulfill that basic need for every woman, regardless of income. If they won the August grant, they would use the funds to purchase products for distribution. For more info, visit their website.

Meet our June SoupGrant Presenters!

Lettuce Live Well

Lettuce Live Well is a nonprofit established on the principle that nutrition education should be free for everyone. The organization offers free, 90-minute guided grocery store tours led by nutritional coaches, during which participants are given information on shopping for health and affordability. The founders of Lettuce Live Well hope to foster a healthier community by teaching Lansing residents that eating healthfully can be both easy and wallet-friendly. If they were to win this month’s SoupGrant, Lettuce Live Well would return the funds to their participants. The money would be used to purchase reusable grocery bags, recipe and information booklets, and $10 gift cards to the participating grocery store. To learn more about Lettuce Live Well, visit their website.

Lansing Track Club

The Lansing Area Track club is a nonprofit organization that offers sports to families in south Lansing. Their hope is to reach those who are single parents, have multiple children, or simply cannot afford to allow their children to participate in sports, and make those activities accessible to them. Through participation in the Lansing Track Club, kids learn the importance of team-building and physical activity in a safe, fun environment. If the Lansing Track Club is awarded the June grant, they will put the money toward team uniforms and transportation assistance for working parents. For more information on the Track Club, you can visit their Facebook page here.

Congratulations to the Ingham County Animal Control Outreach Center!

After a close race, the Ingham County Animal Control Outreach Center received a $185 SoupGrant to help expand their pet food bank program! This month’s dollars will go toward new shelving for the nonprofit, allowing them to better care for their clients and broaden their outreach to new ones. The Outreach Center is always seeking volunteers and donations; if you would like to learn more or find ways to get involved, check out their website and Facebook page!

Break the Chain, our March and April runner-up, illuminated an underreported cause and answered numerous questions from our attendees. The nonprofit documentary team still needs to raise money for their upcoming premiere! If you would like to donate or learn more about the cause, you can visit their website at breakthechainfilm.com, or like them on Facebook for regular updates.

Both competitors gave moving and informative presentations, making the choice a difficult one, but we thrive on this kind of action and debate! If you have an idea that would spark discussion and change in greater Lansing, fill out our application for a chance at your own SoupGrant. We look forward to hearing two more great presenters at our next event on May 19th, and we hope to see you there!

Now Hiring! (Well, Sort Of…)

SoupGrant Lansing is hiring! (Sort of…) We are currently in need of a volunteer/intern who can take over our social media presence on Facebook and Twitter.

We are looking for someone who meets the following qualifications:

• First and foremost, a passion for the city of Lansing and surrounding region including (but not limited to) its entrepreneurs, neighborhoods, art, food and agriculture, non-profits, and socially conscious local business.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge with social media.
• Ability to dedicate up to an hour a day to promoting SoupGrant Lansing, future events, past presenters and partners, and other relevant info on community happenings.
• Ability to identify and make contact with people whose projects may be good candidates for a SoupGrant.
• Ability to leverage existing media (including articles, videos, photos, etc.) and to brainstorm ideas for future media.
• Strong creative impulse and ability to work in a self-directed capacity.
• Ability to keep SoupGrant Lansing front-of-mind with our followers without overwhelming them.
• Ability to work well with a small, dedicated team of volunteers on shoe-string budget.

If you are interested in filling this role or know someone else who may be interested, please e-mail SoupGrantLansing@gmail.com!

While we are unable to offer any financial compensation and this position is being offered strictly on a volunteer basis, this is a great opportunity for someone to make connections around the city of Lansing and the tri-county region and beef up social media credentials with a growing organization.

Woman Behind the Mask Wins SoupGrant

Our Soup Family – powering change in #LoveLansing one bowl of soup at a time.

Congrats to Woman Behind the Mask on winning $130 at SoupGrant!

Woman Behind the Mask meets every week at NorthWest Initiative to provide women a safe and secure place to gather for mutual support. WBM would like to use the money towards purchasing a van and getting a logo designed for their group. Know someone with a van or graphic design skills who might be able to donate their time or give a reduced rate? Let us know and we’ll pass on the word to WBM!

Who’s next? Apply by May 1 to present your locally-rooted, Lansing-minded idea on May 21!

Kirk and Patti from HerBlends of Plenty came back again to talk about their new venture – Abundance at the Avenue Cafe. Join us April 27 at the Avenue for a preview pop-up dinner at 6:30.

Elizabeth Collins-Jones and Danyele Evans from Woman Behind the Mask talk about their work to provide a safe and supportive place for women in Lansing to meet weekly.

Origami

On January 15, we will be welcoming back Jonathan from Cuts and Convos, a close runner-up at our December SoupGrant.

Our second presenter will be Karenia from Origami, a unique group of “providers and caregivers devoted to clients in the rehabilitation process.” Karenia describes herself and her organization in one word: Passionate!

“We are proud to tailor our therapy processes to each individual client.”

Origami makes their clients feel right at home, creating a warm and friendly environment.

“Sometimes its hard for both staff and clients to leave because they really do consider us to be home.”

Here’s a little more info about Origami and what they hope to do with their SoupGrant should they win on January 15.

Tell us a little about Origami.

Origami is working to create a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) Educational Guide for survivors and their support systems. We want to educate the community on traumatic brain injuries and how they can prevent them. In addition, Origami is passionate about bringing this issue to the forefront. With the rise of injuries due to sports or those in the war/combat, in recent years, we want the community to know there is help. The guide will hold brain injury symptoms, strategies, services, resources, etc. Our goal is to provide such organizations as hospitals, nursing homes, and primary care physician offices with the educational guides so they can share them with those in need.

If you win SoupGrant, how will you use the money?

The money will be used for the printing and design process of this guide. We will work with a print production group to accomplish this particular project.

Want to know more about Origami before January 15? Check out their Facebook page and website.

Join us on January 15 to hear more from Karenia about Origami!

Time? Doors at 6.30. Presentations at 7.15. Winner announced at 7.45.
Where? Grace Lutheran ELCA – in the basement (528 N MLK Blvd, near Sparrow Hospital)
How much? Dinner is free; a vote is $5.
Why? To support #LoveLansing. Don’t forget to bring a bowl, a spoon, and a friend!

For more info on our January 15 SoupGrant, visit our Facebook event page.

SoupGrant Lansing Needs Your Help!

So, we’ve got all these great posters from our logo makeover contest and a whole city to cover.

Can you put up one in your favorite coffee shop? At your bus stop? On your worship community’s bulletin?

Send us an e-mail or leave a comment if you would like a poster! We’ve got plenty to go around so let’s spread the word!

Our next SoupGrant is April 24! See you there!

Our next SoupGrant is April 24

Our next SoupGrant dinner is coming up at the end of the month! Since Easter week is falling on the third week of April, we’ve pushed back SGL to April 24 to accommodate the needs of Grace Lutheran ELCA.

Would you like to present an idea in our micro-grant competition? If so, please submit an application by April 17! Want more info about what qualifies for a micro-grant? Check out some more details here!

We’ll have more details about the event as the date draws nearer including the soups we’ll be serving and presenters.

See you on the 24th!