DANVILLE–The South District Baptist Association is helping to diminish food insecurity in Eastern Kentucky by hosting an annual Souper Bowl Food Drive. According to the Advocate Messenger of Danville, more than 30 percent of the population in Eastern Kentucky does not have enough food to fulfill daily nutritional needs for daily life.

This year’s collection ended in February after collecting 83,600 food and personal care items for families in the Eastern Kentucky area. Although the collection has ended, the distribution of these goods continues with the most recent distribution point at Boyle-Mercer County Detention Center for released inmates.

The idea of the first SDBA food and personal item drive started eight years ago when a team from one of the churches was on a mission trip to GAP (God’s Appalachian Partnership) in Eastern Kentucky. They saw the needs of the area and a poster that talked about one of the local churches having a competition between its members to collect items.

Thus, the Souper Bowl event was started with a competition between the men and women of the church. In eight years the Souper Bowl Food Drive has collected more than 292,000 items. (WR)