Souper Bowl, Five for Five take aim at hunger

ThisWeek CW 01/16/2014

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2014/01/14/february-fundraisers-souper-bowl-five-for-five-take-aim-at-hunger.html

Organizations in Canal Winchester and Groveport are both looking to feed the public in February as a way to raise money to supply food and other aid to those in need.

Canal Winchester Human Services will host its third annual Souper Bowl Community Food Pantry fundraising event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Sunday, Feb. 2, at the pantry, 360 W. Waterloo St.

The Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs will host its first Five for Five Fundraiser from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15, at Groveport Zion Lutheran Church, 6014 Groveport Road.

The Souper Bowl, once again timed to coincide with that other Super Bowl, will feature a silent auction, bake sale and lunch, with the opportunity to purchase bowls handmade by the students of Canal Winchester High School art teacher Kelly Helser.

While the lunch itself is free, everyone who donates $10 or more will be able to choose one of the bowls to take home.

“The issue of hunger is a real challenge in Canal Winchester, as the Community Food Pantry serves more than 1,200 clients through the Choice Pantry and nearly 350 students receive weekly bags of supplemental food through our Feeding Our Future project,” Canal Winchester Human Services Administrator Penny Miller said.

“We’d like to encourage the public to come out, bring a few items for the pantry shelves, enjoy a delicious lunch and help us help those in need because together, we will continue to fight the issue of hunger.”

According to Miller, the silent auction will include an assortment of items such as gift certificates for local businesses, arts and crafts.

“Our halftime bake sale will include homemade cakes, cookies, buckeyes and treats to enjoy during the other Super Bowl later in the day,” she said.

More information about the event and donations can be found at www.cwhumanservices.org.

Christine Boucher, director of the Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs, said this time of year “is always our most challenging financially, especially since we rely 100 percent on the generosity of others whose donations allow us to meet the requests of those who are in a crisis situation.

“If we don’t have money to assist, then we can’t help families stay in their homes or keep their heat on,” Boucher said.

The first Five for Five event will be a unique opportunity for people to share their creativity and healthy dishes with each other while raising money, she said.

“The Five for Five event in February not only accomplishes our need to meet a few more requests for assistance, but also allows us to showcase a variety of healthy food dishes in a month that focuses on heart health,” she said. “It’s a win-win.”

In recognition of Heart Health Awareness month, the organization is asking supporters to register online ahead of time at www.center4 gmhn.org and commit to bring a healthy, homemade dish using no more than five ingredients, along with the recipe, to share in exchange for five samples of other participants’ contributions.

Attendees who aren’t able to provide a dish to share are asked to donate $5 for their five food samples; all proceeds will be used to help with either rent or utility bills for local residents in need.