It’s Time to Register for the Souper Bowl of Caring!

Wednesday, December 12, A.D. 2007

Thousands of youth from across the country will join in the fight against hunger and poverty on Super Bowl Sunday through our partner, the Souper Bowl of Caring. While participating in this movement of grace, youth learn about the magnitude of domestic and international hunger, as well as recognize that God can use them to make a positive difference in the lives of others. No matter the size of your school or congregation, you can help provide shelter to the homeless, food to the hungry and compassion to the needy.

The Souper Bowl of Caring is as simple as holding soup pots at church doors following worship on February 3, 2008, and asking worshippers to drop in a dollar to help people who are hungry. Each participating group donates 100% of their collection to the charity of their choice, including organizations like Week of Compassion. All you have to do is:

• REGISTER at www.souperbowl.org
  
• COLLECT donations on Super Bowl Sunday
  
• REPORT your collection at www.souperbowl.org
  
• DONATE 100% of your collection to the charity of your choice
  

Everyone who is registered will receive a free resource kit that includes the materials you need to plan and promote your event, including an owner’s manual with step-by-step instructions, ideas and publicity posters.

In 2007, over 14,000 youth groups participated, collecting over $8 million for charities across the country. 367 Disciples congregations took part in the effort and raised close to $175,000! To date, 360 Disciples groups are registered, but we hope 500 congregations will join this effort on February 3, 2008.

We urge you to act on Jesus’ call to care for our neighbors. Go online today and register at www.souperbowl.org.

Hurricane-like Storms Batter Pacific NW; Ice Storms Cripple Plains States

Week of Compassion continues to monitor and make initial responses to severe weather-related disasters in the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest Plains states. Heavy rains, high winds, flooding and landslides have caused hurricane-like damage to coastal communities in Washington and Oregon. Hundreds of thousands of people in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois remain without power after a crippling ice storm swept through the Midwest earlier this week.

WOC has made initial grants to the Associated Ministries of Tacoma, WA, and to a Church World Service Pacific Northwest winter storm appeal and is now receiving disaster alerts from CWS emergency response staff on the ground in the Midwest. Contact is being made with Disciples regional offices about additional responses as needs are identified within our congregations and in impacted communities. Communication has been difficult because of power outages and downed electrical lines. The WOC office would be grateful to receive word from churches about the impact of the storms on their congregations and communities – please email us at jwray@woc.disciples.org or agopp@woc.disciples.org.

WOC Map/Poster

Click here for the latest additions to the WOC interactive map/poster. For a complimentary copy of the map/poster for your congregation, call the office at 317.713.2442 or send an e-mail to ecleveland@woc.disciples.org.