PORTLAND — Young Catholics from around Maine raised more than $15,000 and collected thousands of food items during a successful “Souper” Bowl of Caring. The event, held on Feb. 1-2, saw the young people gathering donations at several Maine parishes with 100% of the proceeds going to local charities that help tackle hunger in the community, according to a news release from Dave Guthro, communications director, Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

Participating parishes included (alphabetically):

Augusta
Youth ministry members at St. Michael Parish collected $2,510.51 after Masses at each of the parish’s churches (St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Augusta; St. Augustine Church, Augusta; St. Joseph Church, Gardiner; Sacred Heart Church, Hallowell; St. Denis Church, Whitefield; St. Francis Xavier Church, Winthrop) with the proceeds going to local soup kitchens, food pantries, and shelters.

Biddeford/Saco
Parish youth, parents, and college students gathered $2,440.84 at four Good Shepherd Parish churches (Most Holy Trinity Church, Saco; St. Joseph Church, Biddeford; St. Margaret Church, Old Orchard Beach; and St. Philip Church, Lyman) for food pantries in those communities.

Brunswick
A collection was held after all weekend Masses at churches of All Saints Parish (St. Mary Church in Bath, Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Boothbay Harbor, St. Charles Borromeo Church and St. John the Baptist Church in Brunswick, St. Patrick Church in Newcastle, and St. Ambrose Church in Richmond). Participants were asked to donate $1 and/or a non-perishable food item. The total of donations was $2,175 and food items which will all be given to the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program in Brunswick, the Bath Food Pantry, the ecumenical food pantry in Newcastle, the Waldoboro Food Pantry, the Richmond Food Pantry, and the Boothbay Region Food Pantry.

Calais
Youth at Immaculate Conception Church in Calais raised $233.60 for the Irene Chadbourne Ecumenical Food Pantry.

Cape Elizabeth/Scarborough/South Portland
Children and teens at St. Bartholomew Parish in Cape Elizabeth, St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Scarborough, and St. John & Holy Cross Parish in South Portland collected $2,153.93 for local food pantries.

Caribou
Parish youth collected $1,420 after Masses at Holy Rosary Church in Caribou and St. Mary Church in Presque Isle. The donations will be split between the Caribou Ecumenical Food Pantry and the Grace Interfaith Food Table in Presque Isle.

Gray
Youth at St. Gregory Church in Gray collected over $600 for local food pantries.

Kittery
High school students collected $2,009 and canned goods at four Parish of the Ascension of the Lord churches (St. Raphael Church, Kittery; Our Lady of the Angels Church, South Berwick; St. Christopher Church, York). The proceeds will be sent to local food pantries in Berwick, Kittery, and York.

Waterville
Children and teens at Corpus Christi Parish in Waterville collected $1,550.10 at Notre Dame Church, Waterville; Sacred Heart Church, Waterville; St. John the Baptist Church, Winslow; and St. Helena Church, Belgrade Lakes. All proceeds will be donated to local food pantries.