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Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of our most frequently asked questions. If you don’t find the answer to your question here, please feel free to send us a message!

Program

What is Soup Of Success?

We are a program of Church Community Services, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Elkhart, Indiana. Our mission is to empower women through educational and resources to build self-esteem, develop independence and improve quality of life.  We are an intensive 20-week (20 hours per week) program that addresses the whole woman mentally, physically and spiritually.  Empowerment is at the core of everything we do. We help the participants find their voices, discover their direction, establish their goals, and then help them figure out a way to overcome obstacles and achieve those goals. Program participants are involved in a variety of educational classes, support, career counseling and hands-on business training.They learn computer skills, money management, communication, conflict resolution, self-expression, etc. along with a number of soft skills necessary to gain and keep employment. They also spend time working in various aspects of our small business and learn quality control, health codes, sewing, customer service, inventory, production, working as part of a team and independently, Soup Of Success provides a safe place for them to practice these new skills.

How do women find out about Soup Of Success?

Soup Of Success receives referrals from all over including counselors, schools, community agencies, churches, walk-in guests of Church Community Services, etc. The number one referral, however is the friends and family members of the SOS graduates themselves. They see what a difference it has made and want to experience those changes in their own lives.

We hold monthly “Discover Soup Of Success” events on the last Friday of each month at 10:00 am.  It is a one-hour event where women interested in SOS can come in, tour, meet staff, ask questions, hear first hand from a women currently in the program and fill out an application. Soup Of Success maintains an interview wait list. If you are interested in being on that list contact us at 574.523.1551 for more information. 

Who does Soup Of Success serve?

We serve Elkhart County women ages 21 and up, who need a helping hand on their journey toward self-sufficiency. While each woman is different, they face variety of barriers to mainstream employment, which can include a lack of marketable skills, low self-esteem, low educational attainment, prior substance abuse, and dependence on public assistance. It is our goal to provide them with a safe and accepting work environment in which to build their skills and self-confidence necessary to help them discover their capabilities, talents and interests and move into mainstream employment. We accept interviews from women who are ready, willing and able to focus on themselves and the changes that they want to make in their lives. Candidates must be literate as well as drug and alcohol free for a minimum of 6 months. 

How do I stay informed about Soup Of Success?

We would love to have you stay in touch! Please follow Soup Of Success on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube) and subscribe to our email updates on our website to receive notifications about our program, goings on of our women and occasional specials.

Does Soup Of Success need volunteers?

Yes. Volunteers are critical to Soup Of Success. In addition to our volunteer lecturers, each year nearly 1000 volunteers offer their time and talent in support of our mission. Volunteers represent Soup Of Success to the public in a variety of ways, including selling products at events or in our store, delivering gift baskets and local orders, sewing in our upcycled textile department, helping to recruit program participants and encouraging employers in the community to hire SOS graduates. Volunteer groups work alongside our women helping to produce our food mixes.

Shop

What is your return policy?

We do not accept returns of food products, though we do offer a 30-day return option for all non-food products

Is your food gluten free?

We have several gluten free products in our line up:

Coconut Curry Soup

Tuscan Bean Soup

Spicy Tortilla Soup

Sun-Dried Tomato Vegetable Soup

Hearty Potato Soup

Deliciously Dill dip

Spinach dip

Sizzlin’ Santa Fe dip

Do you have any vegetarian products?

All of our soups can be made vegetarian by choosing to substitute vegetable broth and choosing to not add meat to the mix.

Spinach Dip

Deliciously Dill Dip

Sizzlin’ Santa Fe Dip

What are your product "best by" dates?

Soup Of Success produces and packages shelf stable food mixes from dry ingredients. These products do not go bad or expire. As a customer courtesy, we place a ‘Best By’ date sticker on the bottom of all finished product packaging. This indicates the recommended date in which a product be consumed by for optimal quality and freshness. In other words, we believe the product is best if consumed by the date printed on the bottom of its packaging. This date is determined with the consideration of all product components and set by product type as listed below:

Soup: 24 months

Dip Mixes: 24 months

Cookie & Brownie Mixes: 12 months

The customer must use their own discretion on product consumption when the date of their product is past the date of optimal freshness (Best By). The decision could depend on several factors, including the conditions under which product was stored, and if the product has discoloration or has a noticeably changed appearance. For example, if the product was refrigerated, or kept in a cool dry place, and looks and smells normal this should allow for consumption significantly after the Best By date has passed. If any signs of degradation are evident it’s best to discard the product.

What are the hours and location of your retail store?

Soup Of Success is located at 907 Oakland Avenue Elkhart, IN 46516, inside the Church Community Services building. We are open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00AM-4:00PM. Our retail store is located on the south side of the building.

Do you offer wholesale?

Yes. For information regarding becoming a wholesale partner, contact Betsy at [email protected] or call 574.523.1551 x105.

What types of payments do you accept?

Our online store accepts all forms of major credit cards. When you shop in our retail store, you can pay with cash, check or credit card.