New England's Soupman Helps the Homeless

By Camryn Brosnan 

    Bridgewater’s Soupman has been helping New England’s homeless and providing hope for years now. 

    When Travis Kelleher died in 2016 after a battle with drug addiction, his father launched a mission to help the homeless in the young man’s honor. 

    Peter Kelleher is now known as the Soupman and travels across New England to provide necessary services for the homeless, such as clothing, food, and mobile showers. 

    According to Kelleher’s website, Support the Soupman, the organization hopes to foster “dignity, respect, hope, and connection” among volunteers and the homeless. This is done through providing those basic amenities and treating the homeless like you would treat your family or friends, because they are someone else’s family member or friend. Kelleher’s organization strives to remember where these people came from and why they are experiencing homelessness. 

    The National Alliance to End Homelessness confirms that in 2019, “Seventeen out of every 10,000 people in the United States were experiencing homelessness on a single night.” In Massachusetts, according to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, there were almost 20,000 people experiencing homelessness. With the COVID-19 pandemic, these numbers may have risen due to recent economic struggles. 

    Beyond homelessness alone, The National Coalition for the Homeless reported to have “found that 38% of homeless people are alcohol dependent, and 26% are dependent on other harmful chemicals.” 

    The Soupman’s cause relies heavily on volunteers and donations of all kinds. 

    Joanna McCarthy began volunteering with the Soupman more than a year ago after her father died. She uses social media to promote the work and encourage others to get involved. 

    “A lot of people think that you should teach homeless people how to not be homeless. Peter meets people where they are and fills their immediate needs. Peter’s good work changes perspectives and inspires people to be better humans in simple ways,” McCarthy said. 

    Rachel Vetstein, of Bridgewater, also volunteered with the Soupman regularly but once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she turned her work to social media to promote the effort. She often reposts the Soupman’s social media posts that call for volunteers. 

    “This right here is giving back,” Vetstein said. 

    Sandy Durand, of Abington, donated to Kelleher’s organization in honor of her late brother, Robert Conrad, who died in early 2020 after struggling with mental illness and other issues. Durand said she wanted to find an organization that would help those in situations similar to the ones her brother faced. After seeing Kelleher’s story featured on WCVB’s Chronicle, she knew his organization would be the best choice. 

    “I saw his story on Chronicle and after Robert’s death I wanted to make a donation in his memory. I thought that donating to an organization that helps people who are dealing with homelessness, especially during the pandemic, would be a special way to honor his memory,” Durand said. 

    Dave Durand, Sandy’s husband, was also touched by Kelleher’s work. 

    “Being able to make a donation, in memory of a man who was faced with many challenges, to a cause that tries to alleviate those challenges for others was healing for us after my brother-in-law’s death,” Durand said.