The founders of Sheboygan SOUP are excited to announce the formation of Active8, a lean non-profit organization striving to make Sheboygan an even better place to live. Through programs like Sheboygan SOUP and Let’s Taco ‘Bout It!, Active8 encourages and facilitates civic awareness and advocacy with the goal of improving the quality of life in Sheboygan. The founding members are committed to having as few administrative costs as possible and running events purely on donations of products, supplies, and volunteer time.
“We wanted to do more,” said Sheboygan SOUP founder Amanda Salazar. “Our first two SOUP dinners were so successful, and we saw so much potential to grow and connect the community with different programs. It was time we stopped talking about doing something and actually get to work on making a difference in our community.”
Active8 is working on developing new programs and building collaborative relationships to enhance and promote current community events that align with the mission and guiding principles of Active8. These eight principles are: civic awareness, advocacy, inclusivity, innovation, collaboration, community, engagement and fun.
“It’s important that everything we do is fun,” said James Owen, vice chair of Active8. “We don’t want folks to have to just sit in a lecture for these events. We want something that’s interactive and engaging, and something during which everyone who wants to can contribute.”
Active8 held its first Let’s Taco ‘Bout It party in March in an attempt to educate and excite people about the importance of local elections.
“People don’t always realize how important local elections are because they are so disconnected from the process and candidates. Our goal was to find a fun and approachable way to get people connected and engaged,” Salazar said.
“It’s exciting to see the support for SOUP grow, and we know that will happen with our new programs and collaborations,” Owen said. “What we’re hoping to do is provide an avenue for Sheboygan residents to support each other and learn from each other, and in effect create lasting positive change.”
Active8 is entirely volunteer and donation based. For more updates on new programs and more information, go to active8sheboygan.com