‘Soup Bowls For Hunger’ Returns; Tickets On Sale For Popular Fundraiser

PLEASANT LAKE – Making a comeback this year is a fundraiser for the Family Pantry of Cape Cod that will warm your heart while warming your belly.

“Soup Bowls for Hunger,” sponsored by the Cape Cod Potters, will take place April 3 at Cape Tech, and tickets typically go quickly.

For the $30 price of admission, patrons get a delicious soup dinner prepared by Tech culinary arts students served in a one-of-a-kind bowl crafted by a member of the Cape Cod Potters. At the end of the meal, patrons take their bowls home with them.

“It’s a great community thing,” Family Pantry Executive Director Christine Menard said. Students make the meal, potters make the bowls, and in the past, local Girl Scouts have helped by setting up tables and cleaning up after each seating. All the proceeds benefit the Family Pantry, which provides food and clothing to people in need.

“It’s been around forever,” Menard said of the 32-year-old event. Some patrons are particularly enthusiastic.

“They have a collection of these bowls from every year they’ve done it,” she said.

Soup Bowls for Hunger is returning to a sit-down event after two years as a drive-through during the pandemic. Attendees will enjoy soup, rolls and dessert prepared by the students and staff of the school, and adding a splash of creativity, the honors art students of Falmouth High School are designing and decorating the bags attendees can use to carry home their soup bowls. Each bag will carry a unique design, reflecting the talent of these young artists and enhancing the event's personalized touch.

“It's a wonderful fusion of art, food, community engagement, and charity," Cape Cod Potters President Sarah Caruso said. “Besides the opportunity to go home with remarkable, handmade bowls, attendees will have fresh soups, see decorating demonstrations by Kim Sheerin of The Barn Pottery, and enjoy the company of their friends and community, all while helping their neighbors.”

There will be three seatings: 5 p.m., 5:45 and 6:30. Tickets are available online by clicking the “events” tab at www.CapeCodPotters.org. The event has a history of selling out quickly, and the revenue it generates, generally $15,000 to $18,000, is important to the Family Pantry.

“It comes at a good time of year,” Menard said. “It’s not during the height of the giving season,” and the money helps bridge the financial gap until giving picks up again in the summer. In recent years, the Family Pantry has seen client visits grow by double-digit percentages, with more and more people turning to the pantry to help put food on the table each month. Menard said she’s already got her tickets.

“You see everybody when you go,” she said. “I find it very fun.”