In a heartwarming October community outreach effort, the Women’s Council of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union (ABWU) hosted its first ever zero-cost Free Soup Day, dishing out more than 100 servings of homemade, nourishing soup to members of the public across all walks of life. The flagship initiative was led by Tavia Joseph, Public Relations Officer of the Women’s Committee, who had long nurtured a vision of launching a no-barrier giving event separate from the group’s prior small-fee community fundraisers. “We have run community events in the past that asked patrons to contribute a modest sum, but I had always dreamed of creating a space where we could simply give back to our neighbours with no financial strings attached,” Joseph shared. The volunteer team crafted five distinct, locally beloved soup varieties for the occasion: creamy corn soup, velvety cream of pumpkin, hearty black bean soup, traditional bull foot soup, and savory pigtail soup, each prepared with fresh, locally sourced ingredients to suit a wide range of taste preferences. The event far exceeded the organizing team’s expectations in terms of turnout, drawing a diverse cross-section of community members: residents navigating financial strain, office and retail workers on their lunch breaks, casual passersby curious about the gathering, and long-time supporters of the ABWU who stopped by to show their appreciation for the group’s work. “This was an open invitation to every single person in the community, no questions asked, purely as a small gesture of collective kindness. The reception was overwhelmingly warm, and so many people stopped to share how much the hot meal brightened their day,” Joseph noted. Beyond the immediate joy of sharing free meals, Joseph emphasized that the project delivered a powerful secondary impact: it highlighted the transformative power of collaborative teamwork and created a supportive model that encourages women to step forward and turn their grassroots community ideas into tangible action. She reflected that she had initially felt hesitant to move forward with the free soup concept on her own, worried that she lacked the resources or reach to pull off a successful event, but consistent encouragement and hands-on support from her fellow Women’s Council members helped turn her long-held idea into a resounding success. “It is completely normal to feel shy or even intimidated when you are trying to launch a new community project entirely on your own. Being part of a tight-knit, uplifting committee that lifts up your ideas and walks alongside you through every step of the planning process makes all the difference,” Joseph explained. She went on to extend a public call to other women across Antigua and Barbuda to join the ABWU Women’s Council, framing the group as a safe, empowering space where women of all backgrounds can contribute their unique perspectives, refine their community-focused ideas, and drive meaningful, positive change for their neighbours. To close, the entire Women’s Council issued a formal public thank-you to every individual who donated their time, ingredients, or labor to make the Free Soup Day a success, naming key contributors including Chairperson Hazel Luke, Kisha Jeffers-Gomes, Nakia Bowen, the full ABWU kitchen staff, Anderson Edghill, and ABWU President Monique James-Roberts, alongside every attendee who stopped by to share a kind word and support the event.
Over 100 Bowls of Soup Distributed as ABWU Women’s Council Gives Back to the Community
