Soup’s On: Grand Rapids Event Raises Money for God’s Kitchen Food and Pantry Programs
Julie Bitely
| 3 min read
Smoked chicken andouille gumbo. Butternut apple curry bisque. Smoked swordfish and jalapeno chowder.
Those are just a few of the delicious-sounding soups that you’ll be able to sample at an upcoming Grand Rapids fundraiser. If you love soup and helping others, the 17th annual Soup’s On for All event has your name on it. It takes place Monday, Jan. 26 at The B.O.B. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $50 in advance or $60 at the door. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is a sponsor.
Soup’s On For All raises more than $100,000 annually for the food and pantry programs of God’s Kitchen, a program of Catholic Charities West Michigan. Catholic Charities’ Marketing Communications Manager, Anne Rzepecki, said 156,000 meals were served last year through God’s Kitchen’s programs.
At the event, guests can visit each of the building’s five floors where they will be able to sample soups, breads, and desserts donated by area restaurants including:
- Cottage Bar
- Red’s On the River
- Honey Creek Inn
- The B.O.B.
- Schuler Books’ Chapbook Café
- Bar Divani
- Panera Bread
- Gravity
- Rockwell/Republic’s
- Bagger Dave’s
- Bistro Bella Vita
- Onion Crock of Michigan
- GRCC’s Secchia Institute
- The Grove
- Tacos el Cunado
- The Corner Bar
- Amore
- The Chop House
- Thousand Oaks’ Golf Club
- One Trick Pony
Live music and entertainment will be provided by The Adams Family, Blue Water Ramblers, Rock Shop, and the Roger MacNaughton Quartet.
Each guest will be able to take a hand-painted bowl home as a souvenir of the evening and as a reminder that hunger is a reality every day for many in the community.
Grand Rapids BCBSM employees and their family members took part in volunteer bowl painting sessions last July and November. Twelve employee volunteers and their 17 guests paid to take part in painting a bowl to donate to the event. They also decorated one to keep for themselves. Over $900 was raised through the bowl painting sessions, which was donated to Catholic Charities.
“This is important because it draws awareness to needs in the community and it allows our children to participate, which teaches them how important it is to volunteer,” said Lynne Shepherd-VanSledright, a BCBSM customer service representative and volunteer coordinator for the bowl painting events. “It also allows us to participate in an enjoyable activity that the whole building is welcome to join.”
Help a great local organization and enjoy some fabulous soups by ordering advance tickets for Soup’s On today.
Like this post? Read about these other West Michigan organizations doing good work in the community:
Photo credit: Joy
