Homeless Shelter Fundraiser Collects Nearly $9K Through Super Bowl-Themed Effort

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A Super Bowl-themed soup fundraiser collected $8,700 for an Annapolis homeless shelter earlier this month.

The virtual drive, called the SOUPer Bowl, hoped to raise $2,000 for The Light House - A Homeless Prevention Support Center. The week-long effort raked in more than four times that goal. The initiative has generated more than $45,000 since it started in 2007.

Heritage Baptist Church organizes the annual event, which usually concludes with a Super Bowl day lunch for The Light House. For a second straight year, the Annapolis church moved the fundraiser online because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The community really stepped up for the Light House,” Heritage Baptist Pastor Scott Shelton said in a Feb. 15 press release, announcing how much the campaign raised. “The in-person SOUPer Bowl lunch normally brings in between three to four thousand dollars. As we watched the online donations tally up over the week, we were thrilled and tremendously thankful.”

The Light House serves 2,000 community members in a typical year. That number has ballooned by more than 40 percent during the two years of the pandemic. The shelter continues to serve hundreds of people daily with fresh meals, clothing and case management.

“As The Light House continues to serve a record number of vulnerable individuals and families, we need the support of our community more than ever,” Light House Executive Director Jo Ann Mattson said. “Together, we can provide vital homelessness prevention and support services to as many struggling neighbors as we possibly can."

The 16th Annual SOUPer Bowl lasted from Sunday, Feb. 6 through Sunday, Feb. 13.

The drive's website also included soup recipes from the community leaders below. These recipes will stay on the webpage for the rest of February:

• Shaneka Henson: District 30A delegate in the Maryland General Assembly
  • Chili
• Andrew Parks: Restaurant owner
  • Chicken tortilla soup
• Shannon Costello: Chef, registered dietitian nutritionist, culinary coach, blogger
  • Beef minestrone
• Tom O'Leary: Owner of Chevy's Annapolis, finalist on NBC's "Baking It" cooking show
  • Avgolemono
• Zachary Pope: Co-founder of the SOUPer Bowl, chef
  • Clam chowder
• Jared Littman: Owner of K&B True Value
  • Fresh corn chowder
• Brian Shallcross: General manager of the Bowie Baysox
  • Baysox to Buffalo Soup
• Elly Tierney: Ward 1 alderwoman on the Annapolis City Council
  • Apple cinnamon butternut squash soup
• Elvia Thompson: Former director of Annapolis Green, environmental consultant
  • Mamita’s Cuban chicken soup

"We are deeply grateful to Heritage Baptist Church and their partners for supporting our mission each year,” Mattson said. “Our small but mighty organization is a place where neighbors help neighbors and this thoughtful event embodies that spirit.”

Anne Arundel County residents donated at heritageloves.com/souper-bowl-2022. The Light House received 100 percent of the money.

For more information on the fundraiser, locals can call the church at (410) 263-6680 or email SOUPer Bowl coordinator Lea Hurt at news@heritageloves.com. Visit annapolislighthouse.org to learn more about the shelter.

The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13.

RELATED:

• SOUPer Bowl Fundraises For Light House Homeless Shelter
• Annapolis Shelter Earns $20K Grant To Serve Unhoused Residents
• Homeless Shelter Wins $25K Grant To Help Unhoused Residents
• Homeless Shelter Gifted 180K Masks, 50K Gloves To Fight Pandemic
• Homeless Shelter Wins $20K Grant To Feed Hungry Residents
• Restaurant Supports Homeless Shelter, Reopens After Shutdown
• Boy, 7, Donates 900 Pounds Of Food To Annapolis Homeless Shelter
• Homeless Shelter Gifted Large Donation By Anonymous Resident

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