As people left Masses, they passed by youth and adults holding blue bowls at church entrances, inviting them to drop in a dollar for the three agencies they worked for. Our youth leaders set a collection goal of $1300 and we actually raised $1500: $500 went  to Project Renewal, $500 to Humility of Mary Housing and $500 to the Central Community Circle.  

Our Souper Bowl of Caring experience was a labor of love!

Testimonial of youth leader at 1 of our 3 sites   ....

"If one of your kinsmen in any community is in need in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you, you shall not harden your 
heart nor close your hand to him in his need. Instead, you shall freely lend him enough to meet his need."  Deuteronomy 15:7-8

This passage from Deuteronomy talks about self-giving. It says that you should not harden your heart to your neighbor, nor ignore him in his time of trouble. Giving such as this requires dedication. Dedication to one's self, dedication to the cause, and dedication to the community. Souper Bowl of Caring calls for this dedication, and calls all those willing to harden not their hearts and those willing to come forward with outstretched hands to help.

On February 2nd, this dedication was shown by the people of Saint Paul the Apostle church and school. We who were involved attended an early mass and received a blessing before we were on our way. Our large group was split up into three smaller groups where we were each assigned to serve at one of the three work sites. I was a youth leader at the service site of Project Renewal. For those who do not know, Project Renewal is a local program run in downtown Davenport. There, inner city kids are welcomed after school hours when they do not have a 
place to go. They are welcomed by volunteers who help them with homework and provide them with snacks. Every Thursday, a group of Saint Paul's students go and volunteer there, and that is how we got involved.

When we arrived, we saw we had our work cut out for us. There was so much cleaning to do and so little time! There were toilets to clean, windows to wash, carpets to vacuum, blinds to dust, and plenty of books to organize! We split up into cleaning teams and got to work. Those two hours were gone before we knew it, and we were forced to put away our cleaning supplies. That was okay with us though, because we got to trade in those dirty work clothes for swimming suits! As we finished the cleaning, Project Renewal kids started arriving, and we slowly but surely loaded onto the bus. We were going to the Y! Needless to say, we  all had a great time. We ate pizza, had a blast swimming, showed off our skills on the basketball court, and played some pretty intense  games of Uno. The kids really enjoyed the opportunity to go the Y, and I'm sure they enjoyed all that pizza, too!

Souper Bowl of Caring is a wonderful opportunity to help others and to make a difference in your community. After all, these people that we are helping are our neighbors, and isn't that just what Deuteronomy was telling us to do? This was a chance for us to open our hands, and our hearts, and run to those in need with outstretched arms. Every year, Souper Bowl of Caring has been somewhat of an eye-opener for me. No year is exactly the same, and each year I find that not only have I discovered more about those around me, but I discover more and 
more about myself. This is truly a life changing event for every single person involved. Projects such as these make me go home each night and 
thank God for all that he has given to me, but they also remind me that  there are those out there who are not as fortunate as I am.

The season of Lent is approaching, and I want to challenge you to this: tonight as you lie in bed, thank the Lord. Thank him for all he has given to you, for all the things you love in your life, but don't forget those who  are not as lucky as you. Pray for them, for those who have no one in their lives, and for those who are not as fortunate. I am not asking you for a long prayer, but for a short, "Thanks God for all you have given to me."  Deuteronomy calls us to help our neighbor, and harden  not our heart to him. So act on that prayer you say every night. Don't 
just pray for those who need help, go out and help them. Open up your hands and heart, and give to them freely.  This Lent, I ask you to answer the call, to do exactly what Jesus would do, and help those who cannot help themselves.

~ Abby Peeters