KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Keene resident and community volunteer Eric Draper was the featured guest last Saturday on My Keene Now & Next with hosts Abbie Trombly and Nicole Colson on WKBK Radio, where he spoke about his growing grassroots effort, Hot Soup, Warm Hearts, and the personal journey that inspired it.

Draper, a Keene High School graduate who was born in Brattleboro, said the project grew naturally out of his own efforts to stay grounded after achieving sobriety more than three years ago.

Not long after entering recovery, Draper began cooking large batches of soup at home and sharing them with people struggling to afford groceries. At first, the effort was quiet and informal, with containers of soup delivered directly to individuals and families who reached out through social media.

That model changed in December, when Draper expanded the idea into a public event in Railroad Square on Christmas Eve. Setting up tents and stockpots, he and a group of volunteers served hot soup, bread, and desserts to more than 100 people, while also offering something less tangible but equally important.

“Feeding people is important,” Draper said. “But more importantly to me is having kindness spread.”

Draper’s background as a professional chef made the scale of the effort possible. He began working in the food industry at Margaritas in Keene in 1998 and spent years as a prep cook, line cook, server, bartender, and later a corporate manager. His experience allowed him to cook in volume, with early soup batches reaching roughly 40 quarts at a time. A turkey vegetable soup proved especially popular during the holidays.

Since the first Railroad Square event, Hot Soup, Warm Hearts has continued with additional pop-up meals, supported entirely by volunteers, donated food, and community goodwill. Draper credited friends, family members, fellow musicians, and local residents for stepping in to cook, bake, serve, and help with setup and cleanup—often without being asked.

“I just announced that this was my intention,” he said. “And people said, ‘I’d love to help.’”

During the interview, Draper also shared his longer-term vision. He hopes to establish Hot Soup, Warm Hearts as a nonprofit organization and eventually operate a mobile kitchen that could reach homeless encampments, low-income housing complexes, and underserved neighborhoods throughout the region.

“The dream is definitely not just one truck,” Draper said. “The big dream is to make it national.”

In addition to his work in the kitchen, Draper is also a local musician, playing guitar with area bands including his own, the Steamrollers. He said music may play a role in future fundraising efforts, including a possible summer benefit event to support the mobile kitchen concept.

The co-hosts closed the segment by thanking Draper for his openness and commitment to the community, noting that his story reflects a broader need for compassion amid rising food costs, addiction, and housing instability.

Listen to the full interview: