PHOTO BY JOHN FRYMAN / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
SERVING HOT SOUP … Bryan Interact students Courtney Kendrick (left) and Ana McCoy (right) serve a piping hot bowl of creamy potato soup during the 17th annual Souper Bowl held Friday, November 14 in the Bryan High School Commons.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
Area residents gathered for the 17th annual Souper Bowl benefiting the Sanctuary Homeless Shelter in Bryan on Friday, November 14 in the Bryan High School Commons.
It’s also the main fundraiser for the Sanctuary Homeless Shelter. All the proceeds from the all-you-can-eat soup event go towards providing necessary shelter for those who are going through tough times.
“They are the only other organization that do a fundraiser for us throughout the year,” said Pheba of the Sanctuary Homeless Shelter.
“We are so grateful to them, and it means a lot. Just to see the community come out and support the cause of homelessness, which is not a popular cause.
“People like to get involved in a lot of other causes, but our prayer and dream is that homelessness would really touch everybody’s heart. In Williams County, it has the highest number of mental health, homelessness, and addiction rates. So, this is a very important event.”
Souper Bowl organizer Stephanie Mazur has coordinated the event since it started 17 years ago. She commented on the planning for the soup only benefit that begins after school starts in September.
“It starts at the beginning of every school year because we have to fill out the paperwork to make sure that we have the commons, the school kitchen and kitchen help,” pointed out Mazur.
“Generally, we’ve been doing it so long that it’s basically once the middle of October hits that’s when we start meetings with the kids and saying okay, we need you to sign up in the classroom to work.”
Getting the Souper Bowl off the ground begins with members of the Bryan Interact Club getting the message out to the Bryan High School teachers
“I have the Interact students go from classroom to classroom,” said Mazur. “Then there is a spreadsheet teachers fill out saying if they are going to bring soup or desserts.
“I encourage my students to bring in desserts, and they get a 25-point voucher, so I will have plenty of desserts.” The longtime Bryan High School teacher really appreciates the support of this event from the students.
“The students are really helpful for the Souper Bowl,” said Mazur. “If you look over there and see the list of volunteers that I have on the wall, it’s endless.
“A lot of people think that teenagers are scary. I’ve been teaching teenagers for a long time for 35 years and I love them because they want to help. All you need to do is the guidance to do it.”
Mazur did something different this year in which individuals can donate, and the Interact Club will get the soup and prepare it in the school kitchen.
“I think it has helped this year because I don’t want to run out like we did last year and that’s my big fear,” she said.
For ten dollars, there were lots of various soups available including vegetable, chicken noodle, chili, creamy potato, cheddar potato, white chicken chili, cheddar broccoli and chicken barley among them.
The soup was served in smaller ceramic handmade bowls made by high school pottery students whose instructor is Brandon Knott, a well-known artist in Northwest Ohio.
Once served, participants were able to take the bowls home with them. “We have a great pottery program here at Bryan High School, and all the students come together and help make all the bowls for the event,” said Knott.
“They help fire and glaze the bowls. All of those bowls get donated to this so we can give a nice donation to the Sanctuary Shelter.” One of the most important aspects of the Souper Bowl, according to Knott, is the importance of giving back to the community.
“When I was at Defiance College, my professor started an Empty Bowls in Defiance and then I carried on the tradition here,” said Knott.
“I feel like it’s very important to be a service to your community and to give back when you can.” The Souper Bowl has become a popular community service project for high school students.
“One of the State of Ohio high school graduation requirements is that you have so many seals, and one of those seals is a community service seal,” Mazur said. “So doing this also helps them to get their seal for graduation.”
Jackie Boyd who is the vice chairman of the Sanctuary Homeless Shelter appreciated the support of the Souper Bowl. “Our facility is one of the best homeless shelters in the surrounding area because of all it has provided,” said Boyd.
“It’s not just a room full of a bunch of beds, but its apartments for families. It really does a wonderful job not only taking care of them but also help them to reintegrate into society and being responsible.”
Mazur stressed the importance of the Souper Bowl, which is the biggest fundraiser for homeless shelter every year. “This is the fundraiser that earns them the most as a single fundraiser every year, so they rely on it,” said Mazur.
“Last year we raised almost $4,000 despite running out of ceramic bowls and soup because we had so many come and support the Souper Bowl.”