MARIETTA - Super Bowl Sunday wasn't totally about football this weekend as some area churches took part in the national Souper Bowl of Caring to benefit local food pantries.
"This is an event that started with youth groups - to show how much one group can do. Now it's spread to churches across the country," said Nellie Howard who helped coordinate the annual Souper Bowl at Williamstown's First Presbyterian Church.
She said every year after church on Super Bowl Sunday the youth group hosts a luncheon with several varieties of homemade soups and desserts. About 85 people attended Sunday's lunch.
"People bring donations of money and canned foods, and it all goes to the local food pantry," Howard said. "We've done this for about 10 years now."
This year the Williamstown pantry was especially in need of canned soup, so the church put the word out and received donations of at least three bushels of soup that were delivered to the pantry following Sunday's lunch.
"Also, we usually collect between $400 and $800 for the pantry," Howard said.
Across the river, youths from Marietta's First Presbyterian Church ladled bowlfuls from 13 different pots of soup to nearly 100 parishioners who participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring event.
"The Sunday School kids did a little skit to remind everyone about it during today's morning service," said Peggy Malcomb who assisted with the event.
"We've held this for the last eight or nine years - it's a great event to raise awareness about hunger in our communities," she said.
Barb Rankin, of Marietta, brought her chicken noodle soup to the luncheon.
"It's just regular chicken soup with chicken, noodles, carrots and celery," she said.
Her daughter, Carly Rankin, was among the church youths hosting the Souper Bowl event.
"It's a little spicy, but I like the taco soup," she said.
Carly Rankin said the soup lunch benefits the Marietta Community Food Pantry.
"Our congregation is really supportive of this event and the food pantry," she said.
Interim Pastor George Spransy said parishioners donate canned and nonperishable foods as well as monetary contributions for the Souper Bowl event as well as throughout the year.
"We also did 10 weeks of sharing during the holidays and were able to contribute at least 500 pounds of food to the pantry," he said.
Gilman United Methodist Church in the Harmar district also celebrated Souper Bowl Sunday as church members donated several cases of canned soup for the community food pantry.
"We've been doing this for some time, contributing money and food. This year we have at least five cases of soup," said church member Jim Williams.
Pastor Pastor Diann O'Bryant said the church is a regular supporter of the local pantry.
"But Souper Bowl Sunday is a great time for our people to share with the pantry," she added. "We also have a big collection of food sent directly to the community food pantry during Thanksgiving."
