What we do
Forty hot meals a day, driven out to wherever people are
Powered by volunteers and paid for by community donations and grants, Humboldt Soup's On prepares and delivers 40 hot, nutritious meals every day, seven days a week, rain or shine.
How a day goes
From the chopping board to the last bag downtown
Noon–2pm
Prep
Choppers wash and cut fruit and vegetables, at our kitchen or at home. Bakers have the bread and desserts ready.
Early afternoon
Cook and pack
The day's cooks finish the entrée and the packers fill 40 brown bags: hot food, bread, something sweet, and water.
Afternoon
Drive the route
Drivers load the bags and work the area we canvass, looking for anyone who could use a meal. They go round more than once.
End of the run
Nothing comes back
Whatever is left goes to Jan, who takes it into downtown Arcata and finds people to hand it to. All of the food goes out, every day.
two of our drivers, ready to go
Who we serve
Neighbors of every age, and often their pets
Our meals reach a wide range of people experiencing homelessness: individuals of all ages and backgrounds who are struggling to look after themselves, and often their animals too.
Nobody has to qualify or explain. Showing up every day means we get to know people, and that's how a meal turns into a conversation, and sometimes a connection to healthcare, housing help or counseling.
What your donations keep running
- Ingredients for 40 meals a day
- Packaging: bags, containers and utensils
- Insurance
- Rent on a commercial kitchen that meets Humboldt County Department of Health food safety and sanitation standards
No fuel or delivery costs. Our drivers are volunteers too.
In every bag
What's actually in a Soup's On bag
Not a snack, and not a voucher for something later. A full dinner, in a paper bag, handed straight over.
- A hot entrée — soup, chowder, or a casserole, depending on the day
- Bread on the side
- Something sweet — because a meal should end well
- Water to go with it
≈1,500 calories
in every single bag
Not one day missed
Rain, wind, holidays. Every day since 2023.
~1,500 calories
In every bag. A real meal, not a snack.
A new team daily
Different volunteers cook, pack and drive each day.
Nothing comes back
Leftovers go out again in downtown Arcata.
Seasonal · Winter Warmth Drive
When the weather turns, a meal isn't enough
This winter we need —
- Sleeping bags
- Tents & tarps
- Warm blankets
Every bag starts with someone like you
Give what you can, or come out with a team for an afternoon.