UCLA Youth Group collects cash and food Sunday during the annual Souper Bowl of Caring. All funds raised and food items collected go to LA Cares Food Bank. Photo By Megan Crawford/UCLA Youth Group
UCLA News:
Members of the United Church of Los Alamos (UCLA) Youth Group accepted food and cash donations Sunday during the annual Souper Bowl of Caring. All donations stay completely local.
2021 marks the 30th anniversary of this nation-wide, youth-driven, effort to end hunger and contribute to a local charity.
The United Church of Los Alamos has been participating in Souper Bowl of Caring for at least 15 years, according to Keith Lewis, United Church Pastor for Congregation and Youth.
United Church Youth Group members coordinated Sunday’s COVID-19 safe event and welcomed donors to bring their food and cash donations between noon and 1:30 p.m. to the United Church parking lot.
“Today’s fundraiser is the biggest I’ve ever seen since I’ve been involved with the United Church Souper Bowl of Caring efforts,” Lewis said. “If preliminary indicators are correct, our church and our community raised over $3,885.00 today. All of the money and food donations will stay local, going directly to LA Cares Food Bank in Los Alamos.”
About Souper Bowl Of Caring:
The Souper Bowl of Caring started in 1990 with a simple prayer that became a youth-inspired movement working across the nation to tackle hunger. The inspirational prayer that was delivered to a small youth group at Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C. led by Brad Smith was, “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.”
This gave birth to an idea. Why not harness the energy and enthusiasm of Super Bowl weekend, a time when people come together for football, food and fun, to unite the nation for a higher good? Youth groups could collect dollars in soup pots and canned food for those in need and send every dollar and food donation DIRECTLY to a local charity of THEIR choice.
That was 1990. Since then, Souper Bowl of Caring has become a national, grass-roots, youth-led movement where ordinary young people are doing extraordinary work. Over $150 MILLION in dollars and food has been generated while benefiting thousands of soup kitchens, food banks, meal programs and other hunger-relief charities in local communities.
Learn more at www.tacklehunger.org.
