Catholic youth raise nearly $14K in ‘Souper’ Bowl of Caring

In addition to Super Bowl Sunday parties and gatherings, young Catholics from around Maine experienced a “Souper” Bowl of Caring.

The event saw young people collecting money at several Maine parishes, with 100 percent of the donations set for delivery to local charities that help tackle hunger in the community.

Participants collected nearly $14,000 and hundreds of food items at weekend Masses. The parishes, totals, and beneficiaries were:

All Saints Parish
Brunswick, Bath, Boothbay Harbor, Newcastle and Richmond
Youth collected $3,316 for the Catholic Charities Maine food and nutrition program. The program provides daily meals and nutritious snacks for thousands of Maine preschool children and adults with special needs. Daycare centers in Bath, Brunswick, and Richmond benefit from the program.

St. Michael Parish
Augusta, Gardiner, Hallowell, Whitefield and Winthrop
Youth collected more than $2,600 for the Catholic Charities Maine food and nutrition program.

St. John Paul II Parish
Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth and South Portland
Youth collected nearly $2,500 for the South Portland Food Cupboard.

Good Shepherd Parish
Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Lyman
Youth collected more than $2,600 for the Old Orchard Beach Community Food Pantry and Resource Center.

Parishes of Western Maine Lakes and Foothills
Norway, Bridgton, Fryeburg and Mechanic Falls
Youth collected $1,093 for Catholic Charities Maine’s food and nutrition program.

Corpus Christi Parish
Waterville and Winslow
Youth collected $1,733 to help sponsor a child in El Salvador and for the Lighthouse Soup Kitchen in Waterville.

Since the inception of the “Souper” Bowl of Caring in 1990, close to $180 million has been reported donated to local food charities across all 50 states, with more than 305,000 unique groups participating, according to a news release from Dave Guthro, communications director, Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.