Christy Pease and Erin Watson, both of Heritage Thermal, serve up the soup at the United Way of Southern Columbiana/Heritage Thermal Hungry Bowls fundraiser held at the Salvation Army to raise money for agencies supported by United Way to stock their food pantries.
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EAST LIVERPOOL — The United Way’s Hungry Bowl fundraising event held in conjunction with Heritage Environmental Services to raise money for three area agencies supported by United Way had a low turnout Thursday night.
Raymond Wayne, Heritage Thermal, didn’t know whether to attribute the low turnout to unseasonably warm weather or other area fundraisers being held on the same night.
The event held at the East Liverpool Salvation Army served for $10 a soup kitchen style meal consisting of homemade soups made by United Way board members and Heritage Thermal employees and served by staff of Heritage Environmental Services along with a bottle of water, a dinner roll and cookies to approximately 40 people.
The event also featured a Chinese auction, with baskets donated by Columbiana County commissioners, Heritage Thermal employees and the board members for the United Way of Southern Columbiana, which brought in approximately $1,000, according to Karen Montgomery, Heritage Environmental Services/Heritage Thermal.
Montgomery noted that the Columbiana County commissioners and Heritage Thermal each donated $2,500, bringing the total raised for the event to just under $6,000.
Last year, the fundraiser brought in over $8,000 with many more tickets being sold.
The money raised will be divided among Family & Community Service, Community Resource Center and the Salvation Army and will be used by each agency to stock their food pantries.
Those who attended the fundraiser were asked to bring a food donation with them. The donated canned goods were given to the Salvation Army and some of the perishable leftovers were given to Catholic Charities for use in their meal delivery program, Montgomery said.
“These are just a few of the nine local agencies the United Way of Southern Columbiana County supports,” she noted.
“The United Way would like to thank HTS (Heritage Thermal) employees for donating auction items, making soups and assisting at the event,” Montgomery said. “A big thank you to those in the community that supported the fundraiser by donating or attending. Together we change lives and impact communities.”