Washington based Soup Ladies bring warm meals to Florence first responders



BUCKLEY, WA - Even though Hurricane Florence affected communities all the way across the country in the Carolinas, people in Western Washington are still getting involved to help.

Ginger Passarelli is the creator of the group The Soup Ladies, an organization that feeds first responders during emergencies and disasters.

Friday, she was packing her bags preparing to fly across the country to Raleigh, North Carolina.

Passerelli brings a one-item menu with her when she travels to locations in need of her service.

“Because it’s easy, I’ve been making soup for years and years,” she said.

Whether it’s hurricanes, tornadoes, fires or other disasters or emergencies, Passerelli makes soup to feed to first responders on the site of these locations.

A job, that she says she has gotten too comfortable with over the years.

“Unfortunately, we know what we’re doing, it’s hard there is a lot of broken hearts,” said Passerelli.

It first started with local first responder groups and originations, but Passerelli says when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 she realized there was a need for her services across the country.

“If you see a need, and you have the ability to do something about it you should,” she said.

Since then, Passerelli and her team of about 80 volunteers have fed first responders across the country.

She says when Florence hit, she knew she would be traveling this weekend.

“You don’t have to spend a lot of time thinking about if it’s right to do the right thing,” she said.

Thousands of first responders will be risking their lives to save and protect people during the storm. Passerelli says she just wants to make sure they have a warm meal and know someone appreciates them.

“They are truly heroes,” said Passerelli.

The Soup Ladies operate on donations. For more information on their work click here.