Customers pick out a handmade bowl to take home during the Soup Bowl fundraising event for Habitat for Humanity of Johnson County in 2022. This year’s event, scheduled for Feb. 26, will be the first time in two years where guests can sit and eat together for a meal.
DAILY JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
For more than 15 years, officials with Habitat for Humanity of Johnson County have found the perfect recipe for a wintertime fundraising event.
Combining locally-made soups and artist-made serving dishes that attendees could take home with them, the annual Soup Bowl generated more than $20,000 each year to help build houses for those in need.
But the past few years, a key ingredient has been missing.
“So many things got pushed aside or disappeared because of COVID, when it hit and peaked, we had to put things on hold. Getting to share a bowl of hot soup with your neighbors or friends during the Soup Bowl was one of them,” said Doug Grant, a board member for Habitat for Humanity of Johnson County.
The Soup Bowl will be back to normal from 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 26, bouncing back after a pair of pandemic-influenced years. Friends, neighbors and supporters of Habitat for Humanity can sit together, slurping soup and basking in the warmth of community that made the event so unique.
After a strictly drive-through option in 2021, and a carry-out version the year after, it feels good to bring a beloved tradition back.
“It was what community is supposed to be. This is how it’s supposed to work — people coming together from all walks of life. It didn’t matter what your politics were or what your religion was, just people sharing a meal and lifting up a family to home-ownership,” Grant said.
Habitat for Humanity of Johnson County is part of a national nonprofit partnering with area families to provide them with an affordable home. The organization spends about two months building the houses. The new owners receive a 20-year, interest-free mortgage for the house.
New owners are also asked to put down $700 to help cover closing costs. The homeowner is responsible for monthly mortgage payments once the home is finished.
Families also take financial classes and pay “sweat equity” — 300 hours of volunteer labor on their home and other Habitat and community projects. Builds bring together volunteers from local businesses, churches, civic organizations and schools to help physically construct the house.
This spring, the Johnson County chapter will start on its 24th home for local families.
“It’s been really neat to see those families and their kids grow over the years, and to see them doing so well,” Grant said. “You have to believe that opportunity they had with Habitat and the partnership they developed with us was a big part of stabilizing opportunities with their families.”
Since the Johnson County branch formed in 2006, the Soup Bowl has been a key fundraiser for the organization. The event was designed as a one-time fundraiser created by a group from Leadership Johnson County, a program that trains local leaders and asks each class to create a project benefiting the community.
The inaugural event was so popular Habitat for Humanity officials organized it again the following year. Soup Bowl has been going strong ever since.
“That sense of togetherness is kind of rare in a lot of communities anymore. Johnson County is an exception. That’s why it makes it really fun to be part of that evening,” Grant said.
The concept was inspired by a similar fundraiser in Bloomington. But Johnson County’s version has evolved into its own one-of-a-kind event, particularly through the support of the local arts community.
Grant has worked closely with artists from all over the region to get unique pieces to serve the soup in. The opportunity to pick out their own artwork to go with their soup is one of the most exciting aspects of the event.
“We’ve got bowls from a five-state area this year. A lot of our favorite artists are back. Sometimes people come looking for an artist they got a bowl from a couple years ago, and they want to get another one from that same artist,” “It’s a beautiful collection and array that a lot of our guests don’t normally see.”
Organizers have also lined up a diverse slate of soups from local chefs and restaurants, bringing back some longtime favorites to go with new participants from the culinary community, Grant said.
A silent auction is planned throughout the night, and people can bid on artwork donated for the event from 4 to 6 p.m. Magicians and music will also be featured.
Most importantly, supporters can make a tangible difference in the lives of others in the Johnson County community.
“On a cold winter’s night when you’re really ready for winter to be over and get back to be part of a community again, you can do that,” Grant said. “The end result is that everything that is raised that night goes back to Habitat in support of our mission to build hope and build dreams and build lives.”
IF YOU GO
Soup Bowl
What: An annual fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity of Johnson County.
When: 4-7 p.m. Feb. 26
Where: Scott Hall, Johnson County fairgrounds, 250 Fairground St., Franklin
What’s included: Artist-designed soup bowl, soup, dessert/bread and drink.
Tickets: $25, can be purchased the day of the event or in advance at ReStore, 6720 N. US 31, Whiteland, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday or noon-4 p.m. Saturday.
