By Andrew McClure
Weil serves on the National Youth Advisory Board for the nonprofit organization Souper Bowl of Caring, which is dedicated to rallying youth to fight hunger and poverty on the weekend of the big game. The board is composed of 19 high school students from across the nation. A junior at Lynbrook High School, Weil got involved with the organization when the Rev. Fritz Nelson, pastor of the Community Presbyterian Church of Malverne, asked the church's youth group if anyone wanted to apply for a position on the advisory board.
"It's so rewarding to be part of the organization," Weil said. "I feel I'm very fortunate to have all the things I have, so I'm happy to be able to help people who can't say the same."
Nearly 20 years ago, a seminary intern from South Carolina gave birth to an idea: Why not use Super Bowl weekend, a time when people come together for football - and food - to unify the nation to help those less fortunate? Young people collect food and money at their schools and churches in soup pots, and send every dollar to a local charity of their choice.
Souper Bowl of Caring's mission is to use the excitement and energy surrounding the Super Bowl to engage young people in service while giving hope to those who are struggling. Since 1990, the effort has generated more than $50 million for soup kitchens, food banks and other charities in communities across the country, and hundreds of thousands of young people have taken part.
The Lynbrook Key Club, led by teacher-advisors Allison Barrer and Erin Murray, plans to donate its collection to The Mary Brennan INN in Hempstead, Long Island's largest soup kitchen. And Lynbrook High School isn't the only participating school. Earlier in the year, Weil mailed nearly 800 letters and Souper Bowl brochures to principals of schools across Long Island. Before she got involved, only three Long Island schools took part, but this year, 50 schools have registered for the program. Last year, the program raise $10 million dollars nationwide.
The program has had a huge impact on Weil, who believes that spreading the word is key to its success. "Educating people is essential to solving the hunger problem," she said. "Whenever I feel that perhaps there's no caring left in the world, I just remind myself of the love shown by everyone whose lives have been touched by the Souper Bowl of Caring - both those who give and those who receive."
For more information on the program, go to souperbowl.org or contact Weil at nyabbeatrix@yahoo.com.
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