Your Name: Diane Gibson
Your Group: First Presbyterian Church
Location: Jefferson, IA
Years Participated: 14
First Year: 2000
This Year: Collected 1,028 food items for
We could not be reporting over $7.6 million nationwide without your help, First Presbyterian Church! We really appreciate your efforts this year!How did you hear of Souper Bowl of Caring?
Information was given by our youth adviser.
Why did you choose to join the Souper Bowl of Caring team?
Seemed like a good way to keep organized and keep track of what we have done.
What does your group do to participate in the Souper Bowl of Caring movement?
We collect soup cans in each of the Presbyterian churches in Greene County. We have a contest as to which church collects the most soup per attendee for three weeks. The winning church gets a breakfast cooked for them by the Jefferson Presbyterian Church Mission Committee.
What have you found is most successful for raising cash and food items?
A little competition works wonders to get people involved.
Tell us a little about where you donate your collection to.
Half of our 4,114 can collection goes to Greene County Action resource center, which is a local food pantry run by most of our local churches. They have told us that this soup donation lasts into November and is much appreciated. 1,028 cans go to the Beacon of Hope Men's Homeless Shelter in Fort Dodge, which helps them make a lot of casseroles to feed their men. 528 cans go to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota where two of our attendees are medical missionaries through the Pioneers program.
What does participating in Souper Bowl of Caring mean to your group?
It means that conservatively estimating we can feed a minimum of three meals per can. Making sure a lot of little tummies are full and ready to go at school. Making sure that parents can feed their families and give them the attention they need without having to worry about how to feed their families.
Do you have any photos we can share from your most recent collection? If so, will you attach them in your email back to us?
In the above photo, Diane Gibson is the "spokesperson" for the Souper Bowl contest at the Jefferson Presbyterian Church. There are 4,114 cans of soup in the picture ready to be dispersed.
