Magical SOUP-An Experiment in Micro-Funding

[Gannon]

My ladyfriend and I dropped into the SW Soup meetup last night. If you haven't heard of this yet, it is an experiment in funding small community-improving projects approved by a vote from all who put in their $5 entry fee for a bowl of amazing soup, some great bread, and insane desserts. It is held once a month [[for now), and seems to be growing faster than the originators ever imagined.

It was PACKED, and the organizers seemed overwhelmed at the size of the crowd. Indeed, some didn't have seats, and I'm pretty sure the food ran out early. I never even SAW any of Flyhouse Micha's desserts, but am damn glad I learned of her relative obsession with baking sweets!

We saw many familiar faces, but MOST of the room were strangers to us. Lovely creatures, all...and apparently very rabidly infected by the Spirit of Detroit. I cannot remember another roomful of individuals with such a joyful, curious, hopeful, loving, and enthusiastic presence or energy.


Before hearing the three proposals, the founder Kate introduced two of the previous winners. Hearing the first fellow describe the basic energy-efficiency and other helpful money- and life-saving classes they share with Highland Park neighborhoods, and then getting a healthy dose of confirmation from a VERY enthusiastic young fellow from the 'hood [[Isaiah/Zeke), had me in tears.


I sensed the Spirit of Detroit in action, destroying the divides which currently plague our city. In this instance, it was a total annihilation of racial and age 'isms'...it was obvious that Zeke and the idea guy [[sorry to not have his name or organization, I'll try to get that today and update this thread) had become friends during this process. I daresay Zeke now has a positive role model to emulate in his [[and our) future.


More later, I've got to get some work done. Spent last week fighting off some damn lung and throat attack.


Cheers and more, kudos to Kate at SW Soup and all her staff. Kudos also to all who came out on a Sunday night to continue the metamorphosis of Detroit.


Sincerely,
John