Feb 2, 2023 4 min read

The annual “Souper Bowl of Caring” is underway, and area food banks are hopeful that the campaign provides an infusion of money, volunteers and food donations at a time when the need is great.

For more than 30 years, the Souper Bowl of Caring has been driving grassroots efforts using the energy of the upcoming Super Bowl to illustrate the collective impact of tackling hunger locally through its website www.tacklehunger.org.

Each year, churches, schools and civic groups around the country host food and fundraising campaigns that benefit local charities.

David Bork, project manager for the Fayette County Community Action Food Bank in Uniontown, said the Souper Bowl of Caring has helped raise awareness of the need for such donations, as those participating get into the spirit of the event.

“A lot of churches take part with special collections on Super Bowl Sunday morning,” Bork said, adding that this year, donation bins have been set up at local Dollar General stores to help out. “It’s nice to have someone from the community step up and support the food bank in a big way.”

Bork said the food bank is in need of shelf stable donations, such as canned foods, pastas, and cereals as well as personal hygiene goods, as many are faced with the decision of purchasing food or those items.

He added that volunteers are always needed, and even though there are always opportunities to lend a hand throughout the week, he said groups can volunteer after hours or on weekends.

“Basically, we’re open when they want to come,” Bork said. “If they want to volunteer, we can make it happen.”

While food and manpower are needed and welcome, Bork said monetary donations are especially important because food banks are able to “spread a dollar more than a can.”

George Omiros, president and CEO of Greater Washington County Food Bank’s Food Helpers, said the agency also is in need of shelf-stable foods like macaroni and spaghetti noodles, peanut butter, jelly of any flavor (not in glass jars), bagged rice, cans or packets of chicken and tuna and instant mashed potatoes.

Along with monetary donations to buy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, Omiros said the organization is in desperate need of volunteers to pack boxes, work on the food bank’s farm and help out at their thrift store.

“It’s one outlet to encourage people across the county and community to get active,” Omiros said of programs like the Souper Bowl of Caring. “My battle cry is get involved, donate money or if you can volunteer and help, we’re always looking for community partners.”

Candice Tustin Webster, executive director of the Corner Cupboard in Greene County, said her agency also is in great need of volunteers to help at their 11 food pantries in the county, especially the site in Franklin Township.

“If we didn’t have the volunteers, none of this would happen at all,” she said.

For the Corner Cupboard, too, monetary donations are especially important, Webster said, noting $1 can be stretched to buy $5 worth of food. Contributions can help with operational costs as well as their fundraising goal to purchase a box truck that can hold large pallets of donated food from a local supermarket.

Currently, she said, the agency is leasing a truck, which comes at a greater expense than owning one.

With programs like the Souper Bowl of Caring, Webster said, it’s important to have advocates spread the word of how food banks operate and what their needs are.

“We need those advocates,” she said.

To learn more about the Souper Bowl of Caring and view the interactive map of food banks in the area, visit tacklehunger.org.