Food and art come together for charitable cause

The Hoosier Hills Food Bank’s 15th annual Soup Bowl Benefit raised a record-breaking $80,000 last night to combat hunger in Bloomington.

More than 600 people attended the benefit, which featured soup, bread and desserts from local restaurants, ceramic bowls donated by local artists and musical performances by community groups.

“It is a huge cross-section of the community coming together,” said Carol Seamen, a member of the planning committee.

The idea for the Soup Bowl was conceived when two committee members attended a similar event in Michigan and thought it would be neat to try in Bloomington. The benefit started out small in a church basement its first year and grew to become one of Hoosier Hills Food Bank’s most important fundraisers.

A team of 18 volunteers from the Bloomington community plans the event every year, working alongside local businesses and artists and the Bloomington-Monroe County Convention Center.

Musical guests included the IU African American Chorale Ensemble. Steve Sobiech and Claudio Buchwald & Friends, who serenaded guests while they enjoyed food donated by more than 50 local businesses.

Members of the community also built the event’s Web site, sold tickets, printed programs, created brochures and donated facilities, servers, decorations, posters and pottery.

The Soup Bowl raised money through its $25 tickets, individual and company donations and corporate sponsorship. Organizers said the corporate sponsorship has helped the event to make even more the last several years because it allows more of the money to go directly to the Food Bank.

This year’s corporate sponsors included Oliver Winery, the City of Bloomington and Ivy Tech Community College, among many others.

Seamen said she thinks the community responds well to the event because it is an easy, proactive way for individuals to make a difference.

Graduate student Stephanie Fida has been to the Soup Bowl Benefit for the last three years. She said she loves the benefit because of the delicious soups and because she enjoys being involved in a charitable cause.

“It’s a meeting of great art, music and food,” Fida said. “I’d pay to come more than once a year.”

With the state of today’s economy, volunteers emphasized that supporting the Food Bank is crucial. Julio Alonso, executive director of Hoosier Hills Food Bank, said the community’s need for food this year is greater than he has ever seen. Last year, he said, the Food Bank distributed a record-breaking 2.4 million pounds of food.

“A benefit like this raises funds for the Food Bank, which supports what we do, and it also raises awareness of the problem of hunger in our community,” Alonso said.

Carrie Newcomer, another member of the planning committee, said she loves putting the event together because the community responds so well.

“It makes my heart leap a little to see the community coming together like this,” Newcomer said.