An effort to gather food to help feed the hungry in Salina was a super success. The local “Souper Bowl of Hope”, an effort of Salina churches and businesses, coincided with the NFL’s Super Bowl.

The focus of the “Souper Bowl of Hope” was to gather cans of soup, which are donated to five organizations that feed the hungry. Those organizations include:

• Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank
• Salina Salvation Army
• Salina Rescue Mission
• Ashby House
• Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas

The goal was to collect 57,000 cans of soup, in conjunction with Super Bowl 57.

Organizers tell KSAL News donations met an surpassed that goal. In the days leading up to the Super Bowl, and in the days following, 67,000 cans of soup were collected, surpassing the goal by some 10,000 cans of soup.

The collection effort comes at a critical time. The annual “Project Salina” food drive in May helps stock shelves for the summer months. But by late winter, those shelves start to get bare.

Organizers will do it again next year, with a 2024 goal of 58,000 cans of soup.

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Photo by Kelly Common on Unsplash