{"id":105846,"date":"2026-02-05T11:01:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T11:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/105846\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T11:01:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T11:01:22","slug":"souper-bowl-sells-out-to-benefit-opportunity-house-in-reading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/105846\/","title":{"rendered":"Souper Bowl sells out to benefit Opportunity House in Reading"},"content":{"rendered":"

Update Feb. 4, 2026, at 10:24 p.m. to include the names contributing professional potters and potteries.<\/p>\n

A sell-out crowd sampled more than 30 soups offered by 26 vendors at Opportunity House\u2019s 24th Annual Souper Bowl.<\/p>\n

The event Monday at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Reading is the largest annual fundraiser for the nonprofit that helps shelter unhoused people and guide them toward self-sufficiency.<\/p>\n

\u201cSouper Bowl continues to be one of the most anticipated events of the year,\u201d Stacy Perlaki, director of development for the nonprofit, said in a statement. \u201cIt\u2019s been a cherished tradition for 24 years. Our sold-out status is a testament to how our community supports our mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the winter months, the need for emergency shelter increases, along with demand for the nonprofit\u2019s transitional housing, said Alyssa Bushkie, CEO of the organization.<\/p>\n

\"GuestsGuests choose a handcrafted bowl by local artists at the 24th annual Souper Bowl to benefit Opportunity House at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, 701 Penn St., on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n

\u201cEvents like Souper Bowl provide the critical funding needed to ensure individuals and families experiencing homelessness have access to safe shelter, support services and pathways to stable housing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

More than 500 attendees selected from one-of-a-kind pottery bowls created by volunteers from GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Kutztown University, Allegheny Evangelical Lutheran Church and Friedens Lutheran Church, and local schools, including Boyertown Middle School, Exeter High School, Hamburg High School, Kutztown High School, Muhlenberg High School, Oley Valley High School, Schuylkill Valley Middle School, Twin Valley Middle School and Wilson High School.<\/p>\n

Professional potters donating bowls included GoggleWorks, Hon. Judge James Bucci, Clay on Main, Johnny Funk, Petrified Forest, Hilltop Studio, Foltz Pottery, and Taylor Backes.<\/p>\n

\"BowlsBowls crafted by local artisans are on display at the 24th annual Souper Bowl to benefit Opportunity House at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, 701 Penn St., on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n

The event also included a silent auction, featuring bowls handcrafted by local artists.<\/p>\n

The evening concluded with the announcement of the taste test winners. Pulse Caf\u00e9, 35 N. Sixth St., took home the People\u2019s Choice Award, and the Chef\u2019s Choice Award went to Dan\u2019s of Green Hills, 2444 Morgantown Road, Cumru Township, for the second year in a row.<\/p>\n

\"CarlosCarlos Belilla from Tec Centro ladles out some black bean soup to be served with coconut bread at the 24th annual Souper Bowl to benefit Opportunity House at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, 701 Penn St., on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n

All proceeds support Opportunity House.<\/p>\n

A fundraising total was not immediately available, but the event typically raises about $80,000 for the shelter, organizers said.<\/p>\n

The nonprofit provides emergency shelter for more than 700 men, women, families and veterans each year at locations in Reading and Pottstown.<\/p>\n

In addition, it offers support services to help individuals experiencing homelessness achieve stable housing and provides transitional and supportive housing to over 100 individuals.<\/p>\n

Its Second Street and Patton Avenue learning centers offer quality child care to more than 200 children annually.<\/p>\n

The organization also diverts over 1 million pounds of household goods, textiles and other items from landfills through its OppShop thrift store and recycling efforts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Update Feb. 4, 2026, at 10:24 p.m. to include the names contributing professional potters and potteries. A sell-out…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":105847,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,857,182,139,28,736,128,130,129,706],"class_list":{"0":"post-105846","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reading","8":"tag-berks-county","9":"tag-essential-reading","10":"tag-local-news","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-pennsylvania","13":"tag-reading","14":"tag-reading-city","15":"tag-reading-city-headlines","16":"tag-reading-city-news","17":"tag-top-stories-reg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105846"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105846\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}