Post Tagged with: "Southern Branch"

Bowls of Hope Food Drive Sets Record, Collecting Nearly Two and a Half Tons of Food for Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch

Our 2023 Bowls of Hope Food Drive collected nearly two and a half tons of food for the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch, setting a new school record with a total weight of 4,811 pounds.  High school students on the Student Council, who helped organize the school-wide event, packed up and loaded the donations into 26 large boxes and bins that were picked up by a FoodBank truck on Thursday, February 9.

The Food Drive was held during the month of January and concluded on February 4 at the Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off. The school record was previously set in 2021 with 4,655 pounds of food collected, and last year’s drive collected 4,063 pounds of non-perishable food.

Mrs. Brossman’s 2nd grade class won first place in the Bowls of Hope Food Drive contest, bringing in the most donations of non-perishable food.

Congratulations to Mrs. Brossman’s 2nd grade class for winning first place among all PreK-12th grade classes for collecting the most non-perishable food items — 1,118 items. The class will receive a pizza party as its prize.

“Thank you to all our school families who donated throughout January and to everyone who attended our Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off and brought in food to make this an overwhelming success,” said Event Coordinator Christian Delacruz, who oversaw the drive assisted by Student Council Advisor Dan Vasquez. “Your generosity will be a blessing to families in our community who are struggling to put food on the table.”

Tickets and Sponsorships on Sale for our Feb. 4 Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off

Our 2023 Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off is just two weeks away on Saturday, February 4 and ACS parents, families, and friends are invited to attend this enjoyable evening of good food and fellowship that will benefit the school and the Atlantic City Rescue Mission. Now in its 10th year, the Bowls of Hope will feature some 20 restaurants and chefs serving up their signature soups. The Cook-Off will be held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the school gym and  ACS students will also entertain the crowd with a Talent Show.

Some of the restaurants and chefs already signed up for the Cook-Off are: Atlantic City Rescue Mission Kitchen,  Carluccio’s, Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar, Jing Sushi House, La Tia Peruvian Cuisine, Maharaja Indian Restaurant, Root Cellar Tavern, Sal’s Cafe, Sofia Restaurant, Stir It Up Catering, The Cheese Board, Towne & Country Cafe, and Windjammer Cafe. Several of these restaurants and chefs have won past Bowls of Hope People’s Choice and Super Soup Chef’s Choice Awards. Chef Joseph Massaglia, host of Joe’s Table for Two radio show and owner of Mama Mia’s Ristorante Bin Marmora, will be attending the event to serve as our celebrity soup judge.

Several businesses are already on board as Sponsors — 3’R Premium Cleaning Service; Clayton’s Self Storage; Fortress Financial; HS Restoration & Cleaning Service; ServPro of Egg Harbor/Ventnor City and Texas Roadhouse. Two of our sponsors — B.F. Mazzeo Fruit & Produce and Chick-fil-A Fire Road — are also entering soups for the first time in the Cook-Off. Additional sponsors are welcome for a donation of $400 and the deadline to sign up is Wednesday, January 25.  Sponsors will receive 4 complimentary adult tickets to the Bowls of Hope and a variety of advertising benefits.

Everyone attending the Bowls of Hope is also being asked to bring in a can of soup or other non-perishable to donate to the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch. It’s all about giving back to our community!

The prices of the Bowls of Hope tickets, which are considered a charitable, tax-deductible gift, are: Adults-$20; Students-$10; Children (6-10)-$5; Children 5 and under are free. Rolls donated by the Formica Freitag Bakery, beverage, and dessert are included in the ticket price. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at — acseht.org/bowlsofhope.

CLICK HERE to sign up online to be a sponsor or to purchase tickets.

 

Donate to the ACS Food Drive by Friday, Feb. 3 or at the Feb. 4 Bowls of Hope Event

Donations of canned soup, vegetables, and other non-perishable food have been steadily coming in for our Bowls of Hope Food Drive and we are grateful for the generosity of our school families. Food donations can be sent in up until Friday, Feb. 3 or can be brought to the Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off on Saturday, February 4.

All donations with non-expired labels will be donated to the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch. The class that donates the most food items will win a pizza party.

Here are some important guidelines for the Food Drive:

  • Please check the food labels and do not donate any food with expired labels; they cannot be donated to the FoodBank.
  • Please be sure to write your child’s name and teacher’s name on any bag you send in with donated food. This will make sure your donation gets to your child’s class and can be part of the overall amount that each class is collecting.

Thank you for your participation.

 

 

Sal’s Cafe, La Tia Peruvian Cuisine Win Top Awards at 2022 Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off Benefit

Our 2022 Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off was a super success! Congratulations to Sal’s Cafe in Somers Point for winning the “People’s Choice Golden Spoon Award” with their New England Clam Chowder. Some 400 people filled our gym to taste these and other delicious signature soups from area restaurants and then voted for their favorite soup. Congratulations also to La Tia Peruvian Cuisine in Linwood for winning the “Chef’s Super Soup Award” with their Peruvian Chicken Soup.

Professional chefs David Goldstein and Peter Guzzo served as our judges this year to select the recipient of the “Chef’s Super Soup Award.” Pictured with the chefs are, from left, Amaya Perez and co-owner Maria Uceda of La Tia Peruvian Cuisine. Coming in tied for 2nd place for the Chef’s Award were Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar in Somers Point, with a Shrimp and Crab Bisque, and the Atlantic City Rescue Mission Kitchen, with a Broccoli and Cheddar Soup. Congratulations to 2011 ACS alumnus Dara Heston, who headed up the Mission’s culinary team.

For the Golden Spoon Award, pictured at top in the center are David Rossi and owner Blair Pira of Sal’s Cafe, with (from left) Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen, Upper School Principal Meg McHale, and Event Coordinator Christian Delacruz.  Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar in Somers Point placed 2nd, and Stir It Up Catering in Northfield placed 3rd with their Chicken Pot Pie Soup.

All funds raised from this community-building event, now in its 9th year, are benefiting the Atlantic City Rescue Mission and Atlantic Christian School.

Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket, donated to be an Event Sponsor, or brought cans of soup and other non-perishable items for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Southern Branch. The Bowls of Hope showcased eleven restaurants in and around Atlantic County serving up their specialty soups. Our high school students were among over 50 student and staff volunteers who helped serve the soups and worked behind the scenes in the kitchen, with set up and clean up, selling tickets, and more.

Thank you also to our generous sponsors who helped make this benefit fundraiser a success — American Church Group of New Jersey; B.F. Mazzeo Fruit and Produce; Chick-fil-A Fire Road; Elder Pest Control; Formica Bros. Bakery; Fortress Financial; HS Restoration and Cleaning Service; Klingert Family Chiropractic Center; Olympic Physical Therapy; and Texas Roadhouse, Egg Harbor Township.

We are also grateful to Chester’s Bakery and a number of parents who donated desserts, and to Greate Bay Country Club for  providing high top tables for our guests. Thank you also to Chef Joe Massaglia of the “Joe’s Table for Two” WOND Radio program, to Rick Brancadora of Wibbage Radio, and Press of Atlantic City editor Scott Cronick for helping promote the event, and to photographer and ACS grandparent Gail Crafton of AC Photo for donating her services.

 

 

Bowls of Hope Food Drive Collects Over 2 Tons of Food for Community FoodBank of NJ

Our Bowls of Hope Food Drive collected over two tons of food for the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch, with a total weight of 4,063 pounds and close to last year’s record of 4,655 pounds.  Middle school and high school students on the Student Council, who helped organize the school-wide event, packed up and loaded the donations into boxes on wooden pallets for pickup by a FoodBank truck on Wednesday, February 9. Congratulations to Mrs. Capito’s 1st grade class for winning first place for the second year in a row among all PreK-12th grade classes for collecting the most non-perishable food by weight — 505 pounds.

Mrs. Capito’s first grade class came in first place for the second year in a row in a school-wide contest by collecting the most non-perishable food donations by weight — 505 pounds.

“Thank you to all our school families who donated throughout January and to everyone who attended our Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off and brought in food to make this an overwhelming success,” said faculty member Dave Genter, who oversaw the drive as the Student Council Advisor. “Your generosity is helping out many families in our community who are struggling to make ends meet.”

The Food Drive was held during the month of January and concluded on February 5 at the Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off. In January, hundreds of paper grocery bags donated by the English Creek Shoprite in Egg Harbor Township were sent home with students for families to fill with their food  donations.

Mrs. Capito’s 1st grade class will be enjoying a pizza party as their prize for collecting the most donations by weight. Two other classes were also recognized for their efforts — in second place, Mrs. McCartney’s 1C class, which collected 457 pounds of food, and in 3rd place, Mrs. Brossman’s 1st grade class, which collected 436 pounds of food.

Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off Just One Week Away on Saturday, Feb. 5; Buy Your Tickets Online or at the Door

Our 2022 Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off Benefit is just one week away — on Saturday, February 5, 2022 — from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the school gym. An exciting line-up of restaurants and chefs are competing in the cook-off and ACS students will be entertaining the crowd with a lively Student Talent Show. All proceeds will benefit Atlantic Christian and the Atlantic City Rescue Mission.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at: acseht.org/bowlsofhope/tickets. Tickets prices are $20 for adults, $10 for students, and $5 for children aged 6-10 year old. Children five and under are free.  ACS is also selling $20 Super Soup Coupon Cards that can be used from February to May to enjoy a free serving of soup with a minimum purchase from the outstanding restaurants participating in our Cook-Off. The Coupon Cards can be purchased online or at the Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off.

For one ticket price, attendees at the Cook-Off can sample signature soups and vote for their favorite. The top vote-getter will be presented with the “Golden Spoon People’s Choice Award” during the evening. Some of the restaurants and chefs competing in the Cook-Off will include: the Atlantic City Rescue Mission Kitchen, Bahay Kubo, Carluccio’s, The Cheese Board, Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar, Maurizio’s Express EHT, Sana & Sadia’s Mediterranean Cafe, Sal’s Cafe, Sofia’s of Margate, Stir It Up, and Windjammer.  The ticket price also includes crusty rolls donated by Formica Brothers Bakery, beverages, and desserts.

ACS Event Coordinator Christian Delacruz will be promoting the Bowls of Hope on the morning of February 5 as a guest on “Joe’s Table for Two” radio show on WOND 1400 AM, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. The show’s host, Chef Joseph Massaglia, will once again be our celebrity soup judge at the Bowls of Hope and will select his favorite to receive the “Chef’s Super Soup Award.”  Also appearing as a guest on the show will be Chef Donny of Sal’s Cafe, a past Golden Spoon People’s Choice Award Winner who will be entering a soup in the Bowls of Hope  Soup Cook-Off.

We also appreciate and thank our nine generous Bowls of Hope Sponsors who are helping us reach our goal of raising $10,000 from this fundraiser.  Our Bowls of Hope sponsors are: the American Church Group of NJ; B.F. Mazzeo Fruit & Produce; Chick-fil-A Fire Road; Elder Pest Control; Fortress Financial; HS Restoration and Cleaning Service; Klingert Family Chiropractic Center; Olympic Physical Therapy; and Texas Roadhouse EHT.  In the final 15 days leading up to the Cook-Off, each of our sponsors is being featured on the ACS Facebook and Instagram pages as a special way to say thank-you for supporting ACS and Christian education.

Everyone attending the Bowls of Hope is also being asked to bring a can of soup or other non-perishable for the final day of our Bowls of Hope Food Drive to benefit the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch.

Donate to the ACS Food Drive by Friday, Feb. 4 or at the Feb. 5 Bowls of Hope Event

Donations of canned soup, vegetables, and other non-perishable food have been steadily coming in for our Bowls of Hope Food Drive and we are grateful for the generosity of our school families. Students in Mrs. Correa’s PreK3 class had fun this week putting their donations into their class collection tub. Next week is the last week to bring in your food items or you can bring them with you to the Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off on Saturday,  February 5.

All donations with non-expired labels will be donated to the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch. Student Council Advisor Dave Genter said he hopes ACS can set a new food drive record by collecting enough food to surpass last year’s record of 4 tons.

The Student Council will also be awarding a pizza party to the class that collects the most amount of food by weight. Genter will be overseeing Student Council members who will be weighing the contents of every classroom collection bin at the end of next week.

Here are some important guidelines for the Food Drive:

  • Please check the food labels and do not donate any food with expired labels; they cannot be donated to the FoodBank.
  • Please be sure to write your child’s name and teacher’s name on any bag you send in with donated food. This will make sure your donation gets to your child’s class and can be part of the overall amount that each class is collecting.

Thank you for your participation.

ACS to Hold In-Person Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off on Saturday, Feb. 5; Tickets & Sponsorships Now on Sale

ACS parents, families, and friends are invited to attend our 9th ACS Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off Benefit to be held as an in-person event on Saturday, February 5, 2022 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the school gym. Some 20 restaurants and chefs are expected to serve up their signature soups. Come out for an enjoyable evening of good food and fellowship. All proceeds will benefit Atlantic Christian and the Atlantic City Rescue Mission.  ACS students will also entertain the crowd with a Talent Show.

In addition to selling tickets to the Cook-Off, ACS is also selling Super Soup Coupon Cards for $20 each in January and February. With the Coupon Card, you can receive a free soup, with a minimum purchase, for take-out or eat-in orders at up to 15 local restaurants from February 1 to May 31, 2022.

Some of the restaurants already signed up for the Cook-Off are: Carluccio’s, La Cucina Ristorante, Maurizio’s Express EHT, Sal’s Cafe, Sofia Restaurant, and Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar, which has won several past Bowls of Hope People’s Choice and Super Soup Chef’s Choice Awards. Chef Joseph Massaglia, host of Joe’s Table for Two radio show and owner of Mama Mia’s Ristorante Bin Marmora, will be attending the event to serve as our celebrity soup judge.

Several businesses are already on board as Sponsors — B.F. Mazzeo Fruit & Produce; Elder Pest Control; Fortress Financial; HS Restoration & Cleaning Service; Olympic Physical Therapy, and Texas Roadhouse. Additional sponsors are welcome for a donation of $400 and sponsors will receive 4 complimentary adult tickets to the Bowls of Hope and a variety of advertising benefits. Rolls, beverages, and delicious home-made desserts will also be provided.

Everyone attending the Bowls of Hope is also being asked to bring in a can of soup or other non-perishable to donate to the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch. It’s all about giving back to our community!

The prices of the Bowls of Hope tickets, which are considered a charitable, tax-deductible gift, are: Adults-$20; Students-$10; Children (6-10)-$5; Children 5 and under are free. Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased in the ACS school office or online at — acseht.org/bowlsofhope/tickets. Tickets and Super Soup Coupon Cards will also be sold at the door that night.

Student Council Kicks Off Bowls of Hope Food Drive

Student Council members kicked off the Bowls of Hope Food Drive this week, making presentations to students in various classrooms on Friday morning and distributing white plastic grocery bags to take home for families to begin collecting canned soup and other non-perishable food for the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch. Please return the Food Drive bags to ACS by Friday, February 4, or bring them with you to the February 5 Bowls of Hope event. Families can also bring donations to ACS during Parent-Teacher Conferences to be held the last week of January.

Student Council is running a contest for the Food Drive. The class that collects the most amount of food by weight will win a pizza party.  Last year, ACS set a new food drive record, collecting over 4 tons of food. Let’s beat that record this year!

Here are some important guidelines for the Food Drive:

  • Please check the food labels and do not donate any food with expired labels; they cannot be donated to the FoodBank.
  • Please be sure to write your child’s name and teacher’s name on any bag you send in with donated food. This will make sure your donation gets to your child’s class and can be part of the overall amount that each class is collecting.

Over 1,000 grocery bags were donated by the English Creek ShopRite to use for our Food Drive. Collection boxes for donations are now located in the school foyer and in the hallways next to each classroom.

We are encouraging every family to participate in our Food Drive to give a helping hand to those in need in our community. Thank you for your participation.

ACS Donates Fresh Produce from School Garden to Community FoodBank in August

Students in our summer Cougar Camp harvested fresh produce from our school garden in August that was twice donated to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Southern Branch, in Egg Harbor Township. The donations totaled 28 pounds of organically grown vegetables, including green beans, banana peppers, green peppers, snap peas, tomatoes, and zucchini.

Our Cougar Camp students have been active in the school garden all summer – watering, weeding, harvesting, and planting seeds for fall vegetables. They have also been sampling the fresh vegetables, including carrots, lettuce, radishes, green beans, tomatoes, and beets.

Three ACS elementary students in Cougar Camp this summer participated in the after-school Garden Club last spring that planted the vegetable seeds in the garden and they were excited to see the bountiful harvest from their efforts.  The students, pictured above from left, are Nova Ciapppina, Callie Gibson, and Barrett Woods. The Garden Club was overseen by ACS faculty members Eric Tardif and Rebecca Jackson, who both also worked in Cougar Camp this summer.

Representatives from the Community FoodBank thanked ACS for its donations, which were delivered to their facilities in Egg Harbor Township on August 11 and August 19. Pictured below with Development and Communications Director Carole Karabashian (in center) are CJ Cicchino and Keishia Campbell, who received and weighed the produce on August 19.

Thank you to the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program for providing grants to support our garden, which was first established in 2015.  AtlantiCare also provided a grant for an ACS greenhouse, which is adjacent to the school garden.

 

 

Bowls of Hope Food Drive Sets New School Record – Collecting 4,655 Pounds of Food for Community FoodBank of NJ

Our Bowls of Hope Food Drive set an exciting new school record this year, collecting a whopping 4,655 pounds of food for the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch.  Middle school and high school students on the Student Council, who helped organize the school-wide event, helped pack up and load the over two tons of donations onto wooden pallets for pickup by a FoodBank truck on Thursday, March 4. Congratulations to Mrs. Capito’s 1st grade class for winning first place among all PreK-12th grade classes for collecting the most non-perishable food by weight — 442.4 pounds.

The food drive was held during the month of February, concluding on March 1. In early February, hundreds of paper grocery bags donated by the English Creek Shoprite in Egg Harbor Township were sent home with students for families to fill with their food  donations.

Mrs. Capito’s 1st grade class came in first place in a schoolwide contest by collecting the most non-perishable food donations by weight — 442.4 pounds.

“Thank you to all our school families and friends who brought in food to make this an overwhelming success,” said faculty member Dave Genter, who oversaw the drive as the Student Council advisor. “You were Jesus’ hands and your donations are helping out many families in our community.”  Genter said that ACS collected over four times more donations this year than last year, when ACS had collected 1,021 pounds of non-perishable food.

Kathy Steinman, transportation supervisor at the FoodBank, thanked and congratulated ACS for its efforts. “Wow, you guys and gals did an amazing job,” Steinman said. “Thank you all for everything you did to help so many in need.”

Mrs. Capito’s 1st grade class will be enjoying a pizza party next week for collecting the most donations by weight. Two other classes were also recognized for their efforts — in second place, Mrs. Lewis’ PreK2A class, which collected 419.8 pounds of food, and in 3rd place, Mrs. Brossman’s 1st grade class, which collected 385 pounds of food.

 

Student Council Leading Food Drive in February to Benefit Community FoodBank of NJ

The Student Council is leading a school-wide Food Drive in February in conjunction with the Bowls of Hope Soup Fundraiser.  Brown paper grocery bags donated by the English Creek ShopRite will be sent home with students the week of February 1 to fill with non-perishable food items that will be donated to the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch.

The Student Council is overseeing the food drive, which will conclude on Monday, March 1. Student Council is also running a contest among the classes and the class that collects the most items by weight will win a pizza party.

Student Council Advisor Dave Genter said the goal is to collect at least 1,500 pounds of food items to beat last year’s record of 1,021 pounds.

The Community FoodBank has identified a number of most needed food items, as illustrated below.  Working together, let’s “can hunger” and help those who are in need in our community.