INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – The 25th Annual Samaritan Center Soup Bowl will be held county-wide on Thursday, Nov. 2. More than 70 local restaurants supply the soup that will be served at the local places of worship and each business location provides their own soup. Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and dinner locations will serve from 4:30 – 7 p.m.
The Samaritan Center provides transitional housing for homeless families with dependent children in Indian River County. Samaritan Center is a program of Catholic Charities and a funded partner of the United Way. This event raises awareness and funds for homeless families in Indian River County.
“The Soup Bowl has turned into county ritual,” said Renee Bireley, Program Administrator. “Soup Bowl originated over 24 years ago when the Samaritan Center Advisory Board brainstormed ideas on a community fundraiser that would bring awareness to the homeless population and would be affordable enough for everyone to attend. From that meeting, Soup Bowl was born. The fundraiser asks for a minimum donation of $5 for a bowl of soup and $15 for a soup-to-go; however, the idea is to donate what you would have spent on that meal had you gone out to eat instead.”
Soup Bowl Workshops started at the Vero Beach Museum of Art in mid-August where more than 1,200 wheel thrown bowls are created on and off campus by volunteer potters. The bowls will be available at all of the public locations for a minimum donation of $15 on Nov. 2.
Hand- crafted soup tureens, made by master ceramicists are raffled for chances that cost $1. The tureens have been on display at the Vero Beach Museum of Art since Oct. 26 and will remain on display until Nov. 2.
The winners will be drawn on Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. at the Walking Tree Brewery.
“Our facility was built by a community coming together in 1990 to donate funds to build our facility. Now, the whole community continues to come together each year to support us with Soup Bowl. It is quite impressive.” said Renee. “We have more than 40 local artists and volunteers helping during the Soup Bowl Workshop, hundreds more who volunteer at approximately 41 serving sites, more than 70 chefs who prepare hundreds of gallons of soup, plus our staff and board members who organize it all behind the scenes.”
To learn more about Samaritan Center or get more information about Soup Bowl, please call (772) 770-3039 or visit www.catholiccharitiesdpb.org