Published: January 30, 2008 09:02 am      

‘Souper’ event raises funds for homes

Habitat plans third annual luncheon

DANVILLE — There will be more church partnerships for Habitat for Humanity housing projects this year, in addition to one honoring an original board member.

And a fundraiser in its third year will kick off February and the Super Bowl weekend.

Habitat for Humanity of Danville will sponsor its third annual fundraising luncheon “Souper Bowl III” on Friday.

Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the gymnasium of First Presbyterian Church, 100 N. Franklin St.

This is an opportunity for the community to support the local Habitat affiliate and enjoy a hearty lunch for a nominal cost, or to take soup home for an easy meal to be consumed during Super Bowl XLII, said Habitat board member and Souper Bowl co-chairman Darrell White.

The other co-chairwoman is Donna Martin.

Carry-out of individual meals also is available.

The meal will consist of a choice of two soups, chicken noodle or vegetable beef, crackers, cole slaw, dessert and a choice of iced tea, coffee or water.

White said the dessert is a homemade brownie by Applewood Foods, which also is providing the cole slaw and brewed iced tea.

“Tom (Bookwalter) is our cook,” White said of the Applewood Foods Catering owner.

“This year we’ve added bread,” he said about the meal.

Individual carry-outs will consist of the same food mentioned above, while the 32-ounce take-home container will be soup only.

Advance ticket sales are $5 each. Tickets also will be sold at the door for $6.

The take-home containers will cost $10 or two tickets.

“It’s a fun activity,” White said. “There’s a lot of good folks that help with it. We’ve got a good Habitat board.”

Others helping out include Cellular One with advertising and printing, Kelly Printing with printing tickets and First Na-tional Bank has helped financially.

White said building a house is kind of serious business, but the Souper Bowl is a fun event where people can socialize and eat some good food.

Ideally, Habitat would like to see the event become as large as the Kiwanis Pancake Day fundraiser, he said.

“It keeps growing every year,” Habitat board president Erich Hannah said.

Habitat for Humanity of Danville is a not-for-profit Christian ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing by building or renovating simple, decent homes for qualified families in the Danville area.

Partner families pay for their houses with an interest-free mortgage from Habitat. Payments from existing loans are then used to build more houses.

Habitat has completed 34 houses since the local affiliate was established in 1986.

It plans to complete at least two more houses in 2008, one which will be the “Ray Carter Build,” in honor of one of the local af-filiate’s original board members and who has been a great supporter and volunteer for more than 22 years.

“It’s a very exciting year,” Hannah said.

As soon as the weather breaks, two new housing projects will start side-by-side in the 1000 block of Chandler Street.

One house will be constructed in coordination with Ridgeview Baptist Church, in which Carter had been a pastor at.

“He’s a founding father and (the house) will be in dedication to him,” Hannah said.

Carter, who still lives here, has helped Habitat in numerous ways, financially and time-wise, he said.

Hannah said the other house to be built on the south side of Chandler will be built in coordination with another church.

Habitat’s goal is to at least begin one more house later this year.

Hannah adds that Habitat has “great new additions to our board of directors” and hopes to continue with church partnerships.

Two homes are almost completed, across from St. James United Methodist Church and in the 900 block of Harmon Avenue.

“These were two winter builds (and) keep volunteers busy year round,” Hannah said.

Dedications to the families will occur in a month or two.

Hannah said Habitat also is working with the city and developers to acquire a building to store core equipment. It has a trailer to store tools, but it again was broken into recently.

FYI

Advance tickets for Habitat for Humanity of Danville‘s “Souper Bowl III” luncheon are available from Habitat board members or can be obtained at Landmark Credit Union. People also can call Habitat for Humanity at 497-4234 and leave a message or call Darrell White at Berry’s Garden Center.