Highland Presbyterian Church

This Sunday is the Super Bowl, and even if you aren't a sports fan it's almost impossible to avoid the buildup to the game. The New York Giants, led by Eli Manning, will play against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in a rematch of a game from several years ago. It promises to be an interesting game with a pair of well match opponents battling it out for the title of best team in the NFL.

This week is also Souper Bowl Sunday.  Souper Bowl Sunday was started by Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in 1990 as a youth-led drive to collect money for hunger progams in the Columbia, SC area.  The drive soon went national and in 2008 broke the $10 million mark.

This Sunday Highland will be collecting food items and money to go to the Food Connection in Maryville as well as other local, national and international food organizations. Highland is also collecting money for the food program of the Taguasco church, our sister church in Cuba. This program feeds children of the area on Sundays and provides Sunday meals to elderly people in their homes as well, some who are members and some who live in the community (sort of their own version of Meals on Wheels!) 

It will soon be time to renew and replant our Bounty Garden-- another avenue we have for fighting hunger in our own community.  Our Bounty Garden provides fresh produce to the Food Connection to be distributed to clients there. Through these types of programs we make a real difference to people who, even in a country as wealthy as ours, still have inadequate access to food.

The original prayer that spurred this event, by then-seminary-intern Brad Smith, says ""Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those who are without a bowl of soup to eat." Together we can help to fulfill this prayer, on behalf of hungry people everywhere.