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Monday, January 21, 2008
“Bowl of caring a ‘souper’ effort for community”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I know you’ve heard of the Super Bowl.
But what about the Souper Bowl of Caring?
It’s a nationwide fund-raiser that utilizes Super Bowl weekend to raise money and goods for charities. It started in 1990 at Valley Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C. A seminary intern gave a prayer.
“Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those who are without a bowl of soup to eat,” he prayed.
An idea was born. Capitalize on the big game. Help the needy.
That year, more than 20 Columbia-area church youth groups participated in the inaugural Souper Bowl. It raised nearly $6,000.
Today, it’s huge. Souper Bowl of Caring became a South Carolina-based nonprofit in 1997. Since its inception, school and church groups across the country have collected $41 million. Last year’s take was a little over $8 million, according to the nonprofit’s Web site.
The youth ministry at Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church has taken part in the Souper Bowl for several years. They’ve set a goal for this year’s drive - collect 1,000 canned or dry food items and money to buy gift cards.
The food will be donated to the Duluth Cooperative Ministry. Some of the money will be used to buy toiletries and paper towels for the Clifton night shelter in Decatur. Family Promise of Gwinnett County Inc., a nonprofit network of churches that provides shelter, meals and assistance, will receive the gift cards.
Super Bowl XLII takes place Feb. 3. Pleasant Hill Presbyterian will host its “souper bowl” during that day’s service. Big boxes with the names of the NFL Super Bowl teams will be placed in the narthex. Kids, with soup pots in hand, will walk the halls before and after Sunday school for donations. Later that day, they will count and load the items, then haul them to the recipients.
Some education takes place before “game day.” The youths have learned about the county’s homeless population. It’s estimated that 60 percent are children, and 50 percent are under the age of 6, according to Family Promise.
“That’s just crazy,” said Alex Reinecke, 13, a Presbyterian youth. “And recently it’s been really cold.
It’s one thing to know the hungry and homeless exist in the world. It’s something else to know they live in your community.
“They see how easily they could be in those positions,’ said Beverly Ostrowski, interim associate pastor. “They see that they are not that different from those with needs in the community.
I don’t have a dog in the Super Bowl hunt, but I hope you enjoy the game. While you’re at it, cheer for the Souper Bowlers to reach their fund-raising goal.
In their game, there are no losers.
For more information about Souper Bowl of Caring, visit www.souperbowl.org.
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.
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