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Youth will help hungry through Souper Bowl of Caring

Jan. 27, 2006

NOTE: Photographs are available at http://umns.umc.org.

A UMNS Report
By Linda Green*

Youth from across the United States will try to score a touchdown for
hunger relief on the day of the national football championship game.

Armed with soup pots, youth in all 50 states and Canada will spend Feb.
5, the day of the Super Bowl, at the doors of their churches, collecting
$1 or a can of food from each person walking by. The money and food will
be given to a local hunger ministry or charity of their choice for the
Souper Bowl of Caring.

The Super Bowl will be held in Detroit, identified by Souper Bowl of
Caring officials as America's poorest city. According to a Souper Bowl
media release, Detroit is "an appropriate location to draw attention to
the needs of our nation's hungry and hurting, and (to) demonstrate how
small efforts can make a difference."

Youth from numerous denominations and faith traditions will use that
weekend, transforming the days of parties and celebrations into a day of
caring for the hungry and hurting.

The Souper Bowl is at work in churches in all states and is also
endorsed by National Football League owners and local businesses. Five
teams - the Indianapolis Colts, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins,
Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans - have endorsed the 2006 Souper
Bowl.

The 15-year-old relief drive began in Columbia, S.C., sparked by a
prayer by the Rev. Brad Smith, a Presbyterian minister: "Lord, as we
enjoy the  Super Bowl football game, let us be mindful of those without
even a bowl of soup to eat."

That prayer galvanized "young people to see what God was planting in
their hearts to help others, and so they spread it across the state of
South Carolina and across the country," said Souper Bowl spokesperson
Tracy Bonds, a member of Shandon United Methodist Church in Columbia.

Since its inception, more than $28 million has been given to those in
need. Last year, 11,000 groups and churches collected $4 million. Of
those participating, 2,187 were United Methodist congregations.

This year's theme is "One Dollar. One Day. It all adds up."

Bonds was part of the 2006 Blitzathon, a 15-city tour that began in
Miami and will end in Detroit on Feb. 4. The tour is introducing people
of all ages to the Souper Bowl of Caring and urging them to get
involved.

In Nashville, Tenn., the tour stopped at the Denman Building, home of
several United Methodist agencies. There, the Souper Bowl crew was
hosted by the Rev. Jay Clark and the United Methodist Division on
Ministries with Young People.

Clark, the manager of faith formation for the division, said that all
money raised by local churches stays within that community. "It is
something that any church can do, from the largest congregation to the
smallest," he said. "It is something that really brings people
together." He added that the outreach "is something that youth can do
without any help from adults."

Seeing the Souper Bowl RV in the parking lot of the Denman Building
inspired Bishop William Morris, interim top executive of the Commission
on United Methodist Men, to don his hat, coat and gloves and venture
outside to toss footballs into an inflatable football game.

"The Souper Bowl is a very important cause because of the ministry that
goes on as a result of it," he said. He encouraged United Methodists to
participate in the event because "any way in which we can be involved in
mission and improve the lives of people, we have no other choice but to
be involved. That takes many different avenues ... but you have to reach
people in all sorts of ways."

After a day of service and fund raising, youth will register their
donations by going to the Souper Bowl of Caring's Website at
www.soupbowl.org or calling (800) 358-SOUP (3687).

The United Methodist Committee on Relief also encourages United
Methodist congregations to use the "The Souper Bowl of Caring" as an
opportunity to involve youth in mission and raise funds for hunger
projects. As the youth choose what hunger ministries they will support
on Feb. 5, the relief agency requests consideration of	UMCOR's
Hunger/Poverty Program, Advance #982920 and/or South Asia Emergency,
Advance #274305.

Donations may be sent through a local United Methodist church, annual
conference or directly to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. For
credit-card donations, call (800) 554-8583.

College band featured in ad

A United Methodist-related college is also involved in the Super Bowl
festivities. The percussion section and the head drum major of the
Marching Wildcats of historically black Bethune-Cookman College in
Daytona Beach, Fla., will be featured in a commercial for the 2006 DTS
Cadillac. The commercial will run about 60 days and will debut during
the second half or the post-game show of the Super Bowl. For more
information, visit the school's Website at http://bethune.cookman.edu.

*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in
Nashville, Tenn.

News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

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