PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- If times were normal, Maureen Carreno would be full-swing into her consulting job and running her travel agency.
"Normally I work at least two jobs, and have most of my life," she said.
Since times are far from normal, with many people refraining from travel during the pandemic, Carreno's business has been closed.
"That gives me time to chop veg and get busy in the kitchen," she said.
She hasn't boiled over the loss of income, instead she's been busy simmering down soups and stews.
"When the pandemic got really bad, I said, you know what? I'm just going to start making a bunch of soup. I'll put out a table and start giving it away," she said.
Carreno used to fill any free time she had with trips to the Kensington section of the city to feed people struggling with homelessness. But during the pandemic, because she's at high risk of infection, she's been careful about staying safe at home.
Even while stuck at home, she says, she wanted to help meet the needs of people facing challenges through the last year.
"There's people out there who can't cook. There's people out there taking care of sick people. There's people out there with no money," she said. "There's a lot going on and there's a great big need."
Over the past year, she has become known as the "Souper" Mom, and has given away more than 5,000 quarts of soup at her Delaware County home.
"I don't know how to cook for one to two people. Never have," she said. "I always make extra. My kids and grandkids live next door. It kinda started where I would get extra groceries."
About every other week, she says folks line up down her block and around the corner, masked and socially distanced, to get a taste of her homemade comfort foods.
"Some are frozen. Some are refrigerated," she said. "I've made brownies, cupcakes, little cheesecakes, savory biscuits with cheese. I make beef stew, chicken stew. There's always at least six different things to choose from. I try to do vegetarian, gluten free, something that everybody can have on the menu."
Carreno says she learned her soup-making techniques when she worked alongside a chef at a nursing home when she was younger. Of course, the experience she has gained over the years as a mother and grandmother has helped.
"I make a version of Italian wedding soup. I make it with spinach, so I call that 'Italian divorce soup,' because I divorced the escarole," she said. "Divorce soup is actually a big hit around here," she said.
Some of her loyal soupers have even begun making menu requests.
"There's times where I make stuff before people show up. Just take what you need or want and make sure you take it to the elderly neighbors and the people who are sick in your life."
And people have tried to repay her for her kindness, offering gifts and donations. But she stays true to her motto:
"It's free. I'm a grandmother, not a store."
Nearly a week ago, folks did find a way to return some of the generosity. Carreno asked for some written messages to cheer up her granddaughter, who was turning 9-years-old.
"My granddaughter is a social butterfly, so emotionally this has been a hard time for her."
Her grandaughter Abbella may not have gotten the birthday party she wanted, but she did get much more than she asked for.
"People came with balloons, gift bags, crowns, packages. It was very sweet and much more than I expected. Just even the benefit of community, it has benefited me to have my 'souper' friends."
Carreno says she plans to keep being 'Souper' Mom as long the pandemic goes on. But when it's over, she says, she will happily go back to Kensington to help care for homeless people and others in need.
