JFS Hosts ‘Soup’er Bowl Fundraiser

While millions of sports enthusiasts will watch the 56^th annual ‘big game’ on television, Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties will once again host their own ‘Soup’er Bowl. To help combat hunger, JFS will host a drive to collect hundreds of canned hearty soups (including meats and vegetables) to assure community members have a hot and filling meal during the cold winter months.

“During last year’s ‘Soup’er Bowl, JFS collected more than 400 canned soups which helped to stock the pantry shelves for those in need,” said Andrea Steinberg, JFS Chief Executive Officer. “Game day has always been synonymous with food which is why we wanted to bring awareness about the overall food insecurity rate (10.6%) and child food insecurity rate (15.2%) in our county,” she added.

In 2021, the JFS Food Pantry distributed more than 100,000 pounds of food to over 8,600 Atlantic County residents in need. Due to the on-going economic environment, JFS saw the need escalate throughout the year and as such, tripled the size of its pantry last August. The on-site Margate Food Pantry now offers fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, butter, poultry, proteins, and more in addition to non-perishable food and basic essentials.

The ‘Soup’er Bowl collection encourages donors to drop-off canned soups. Hearty soups with chicken and meat provide essential nutrition. Cans with pop-tops are appreciated and make for easy opening, especially for homeless individuals with limited access to can openers.

Donations for the ‘Soup’er Bowl will be accepted from now through February 16 at JFS, located at 607 North Jerome Avenue in Margate. The agency is open from 8am to 8pm Monday and Wednesday, and 8am to 5pm Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Financial contributions are greatly appreciated. Contact Susan Kotzen at 609.822.1108 x218 or skotzen@jfsatlantic.org to make a donation. For those in need of food, the Pantry is open to Atlantic County residents Monday through Friday from 9am to 3pm daily. Drive-through or walk-up options are available for the health and safety of recipients, staff and volunteers. For information about JFS programs and services, contact 609.822.1108 or visit jfsatlantic.org.