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New West soup fundraiser a success

Movers & Shakers

Folks at the Union Gospel Mission enjoyed some tasty soup thanks to the efforts of a local restaurant and its customers.

Amaranthus, a plant-based restaurant in River Market, held a Buy One, Give One soup campaign in the week leading up to Thanksgiving. It agreed to donate one litre of soup to a local charity for each litre of soup purchased by its customers.

Alejandro Diaz, owner of Amaranthus, said the restaurant met with Michael Miller of the Union Gospel Mission in New Westminster and presented the local charity with 11 litres of soup.

“We learned more about what they do and will try to work with them as another community partner,” he said.

All of Amaranthus’s soups are made fresh by its chefs, and are gluten-free and plant-based.

“When brainstorming what to do at the restaurant to give back for Thanksgiving, we decided upon a soup donation fairly quickly,” Jolene Kolk, the restaurant’s social media and event coordinator, said in an email to the Record before the fundraiser. “It was a way to help our immediate community with a healthy and fresh meal, but as we thought about it we wanted to make a bigger impact then just our donation. Our team decided to extend the invitation to our amazing customers to join us by doing a buy one, give one campaign.”

Diaz, who also owns El Santo on Columbia Street, opened Amaranthus on May 1. Its menu features items like fried Brussel sprouts, soups, a veggie burger, chocolate rosemary cashew cake, rosemary salt churros and beet cream soda.