Dear Friends,
It is estimated that this Sunday Americans will consume 1.25 billion chickens wings during the Super Bowl. This exercise in excessive consumption equates to over eight million pounds of chicken, and the gluttony does not stop there. According to the Snack Food Association, Americans double their average daily consumption of snacks on Super Bowl Sunday, consuming more than 33 million pounds of goodies in one day.
I am not sharing these figures with you to make you feel guilty. After all, part of the joy of the Super Bowl includes all the finger foods.
That said, when we contrast our food intake in one single day with that of the 17 million families in the United States who do not know if they will have enough food from week to week, this day of excessive consumption invites us to consider the food needs of those who are hungry.
This weekend, we have an opportunity to make a difference through a charitable effort that comes every year on Super Bowl Sunday. The event is called The Souper Bowl of Caring, and HCRJ has been participating in this nation-wide effort since 2009. Each year, we join millions of participants throughout the United States in collecting funds that go toward feeding the hungry. To learn more about this wonderful organization and to donate directly, please visit their website at www.souperbowl.org.
Our own efforts at HCRJ will take place at our Family Shabbat Dinner on Friday night and the Family Breakfast on Super Bowl Sunday. Please look for an enormous soup pot and donate generously. Every dollar you give goes directly to feed the hungry.
For those who will not be attending these events at temple, you can participate in this important effort as well. Please visit www.souperbowl.org and donate there.
Last year $2.1 million dollars were collected for hunger relief in Houston alone. That’s an enormous amount of hunger relief in the span of a weekend.
So . . . as we enjoy the Super Bowl this Sunday and as we indulge in our annual super bowl fiesta fare, take a little time to share in the abundance we have at our finger tips. Please give generously at the HCRJ collection pot or at the Souper Bowl of Caring website listed above – because no matter who may win the game – we know we can create a winning scenario with the gift of sustenance for those in need.
L’Shalom–Steve