edible
VOICES
Anthony Carroccio
Organic Soup Kitchen
Celebrates a Decade of Service by Jill Johnson PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSHUA CURRY
“A
cheerful heart is good medicine, but not on an empty stomach” is an apropos Thai proverb that lights the way for Anthony Carroccio as he ventures along the occupational (and metaphysical) path that he started upon a decade ago. Times were tough then, in the midst of the recession, and people were in need of sustenance. Emotional. Spiritual. Nutritional. Anthony saw the need, felt the pain and decided that, while he might not be able to provide help for all that ails the world, or the community, he could at least provide food—
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with nothing being more nourishing than organic soup. And, thus began Organic Soup Kitchen. Anthony started with helping the often-forgotten members of our community: the homeless and the veterans, who many times were one and the same. Word spread and those who were in need began to venture forth out of the shadows of humiliation to seek help and support. Community members who for years had asked themselves “How can I help?” finally saw a way that they could.