2014 Souper Collections

Each and every year, we are blown away by our participants and their dedication to tackling the problems that exist in their communities. We love to read the stories and photos they post to our website, and we would like to spotlight some of the most inspiring collections from 2014.

West University Elementary School of Houston has been participating in Souper Bowl of Caring since 2007. This year, they raised 30,908 pounds of food for the . Laura Torgerson with the school's PTA explains the importance of their commitment to Souper Bowl of Caring each year:

"The West University Elementary School community recognizes how blessed we are to have food on our tables without wondering and worrying about where our next meal will come from each day. We believe we have a responsibility to give back and help fellow Houstonians, which is why we participate annually in Souper Bowl of Caring to benefit the . Not only do the students get excited about the stacks of food piling up in the cafeteria, but so do the teachers, administration and the parents. It is a great organization we love to support."

Their commitment paid off! After West University Elementary School's 2014 Collection, Duane Brown with the Houston Texans visited the school to show his gratitude by hosting a pep rally for the students!

Meanwhile, in Salt Lake City, sports reporter David James encouraged collections across the state of Utah. He recruited KUTV 2News which hosted a local telethon and spotlighted groups that were participating! One amazing group is Juan Diego Catholic High School and senior Dominic Colosimo, who decided to use Souper Bowl of Caring as a way to honor his cousin:

"The Souper Bowl of Caring project started my Junior year after my cousin and best friend Adam passed away. This took a great emotional toll on me, and I was told to turn my grief into good. The project was brought to me by local radio and TV face David James who had participated in the project before. We raised 35,000 cans/dollars in 2013 at the Skaggs Catholic Center and 123,000 throughout the Catholic Diocese of Utah in 2014. We exceeded our goal by ten thousand the first year and twenty three thousand this year. The project was spear headed by the three Catholic high schools."

In May 2014, the Souper Bowl of Caring staff was able to visit Salt Lake City to exchange ideas and recognize many of the top participants for their extraordinary collections! We would like to extend a special shout out to David James for serving as a Souper Bowl of Caring ambassador in Salt Lake City.

Another one of our participants, Myers Park Presbyterian Church, has been involved with Souper Bowl of Caring since 2008. For their 2014 collection, they teamed up with the Boy Scouts and the results were incredible. With the help of the Scouts, they were able to raise $3,528 and 250,000 pounds of food for Loaves & Fishes, Inc. Michelle Thoms-Bush, a member of Myers Park Presbyterian Church, explains more:

"The Boy Scouts have a Scouting for Food day on the first Sunday of February every year. They collect canned goods from the neighborhood and from church members on Super Bowl Sunday. The past couple of years, the Scouts, who are youth in the church, have reached out to include other young people to support their efforts and all have been used for the Souper Bowl of Caring offering. The scouting for food drive takes the lead and partners with the young people... It is a great partnership!"

These were just a few of some of the amazing collections stories of 2014. We appreciate your support and dedication to continuing the Souper Bowl of Caring mission and vision.

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