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Cornell University

Student & Campus Life

Soup & Hope

Photo of chapel with "Soup & Hope" logo.

Soup & Hope 2026

The 19th annual Soup & Hope speaker series will return to Sage Chapel on January 26, 2026, featuring five Cornell staff, faculty and student storytellers sharing their experiences of overcoming life’s challenges - while attendees enjoy a free meal of soup and bread.

The series is open to the public and spotlights speakers and stories of hope. Events are free and do not require registration. While the series is held in Sage Chapel, the events are not affiliated with a religious organization.

Soup & Hope takes place in person on Thursdays from NOON to 1PM at Sage Chapel. 

  • Noon to 12:15 – Gather and enjoy soup
  • 12:15 – Talks begins
  • 12:45 – Event concludes

Those who cannot attend in person can watch live via Soup & Hope Zoom. 
Passcode: soup
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Some events will be recorded and posted on this website for later viewing. Scroll down to each speaker's bio to find links to recordings.

2026 Series Dates and Speakers

  • January 29: Michelle Van-Ess Grant, Senior Associate Dean of Students
  • February 12 - Basil Safi, Executive Director David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement
  • February 26 - Emily Dunuwila, Health Initiatives Coordinator; Skorton Center for Health Initiatives
  • March 12 - Trisha Bhujle '24
  • March 26 - Angela Odoms-Young, The Nancy Schlegel Meinig Associate Professor of Maternal and Child Nutrition

Soup & Hope Planning Committee

  • Joel Harter, Chair - Office of Spirituality and Meaning-Making
  • Jennifer Austin - Skorton Center for Health Initiatives
  • Kelly Chan - Center for Teaching Innovation
  • Laura Gallup - Student & Campus Life Communications and Marketing
  • Kristine DeLuca - Cornell Commitment
  • Ashley Fazio - Human Resources Communications
  • Linda Falkson - University Ombuds
  • Toral Dhiru Patel - Human Resources Diversity and Inclusion
  • Saorsa Wissman - Office of Spirituality and Meaning-Making
  • Victor Younger - Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration, Cornell College of Business
  • Marcia A Easley - College of Human Ecology
  • Grace Corinne DePaull - Human Resources Communications
  • Cyrus Hamilton-Ferguson - Student Disability Services

Sponsors 

In the spirit of a health-promoting campus, this series is co-sponsored by the Office of Spirituality and Meaning-Making (part of The Centers for Student Equity, Empowerment, and Belonging), Human Resources, Cornell Health and Cornell Catering.