Nutrition to Share

To fulfill Share’s core mission of feeding and housing the homeless, volunteers serve food every day.

But Sunday’s soup line was a little different. Several hundred paying customers turned out for Share’s ninth-annual Share a Bowl fundraiser at Skyview High School.

Attendees were treated to live music by Patrick Lamb and Michael Allen Harrison, and each received soup in a keepsake ceramic bowl handmade by artist Michael Metz. Metz is a Northwest artist who hand-throws all of his pottery; each bowl is unique.

Judy Ellithorpe was named the 2010 Emily Marshall Volunteer of the Year for her work in Share’s kitchens and in assembling Easter baskets for homeless children. According to the program, “Judy goes above and beyond all the time, for every program in which she volunteers. Whether it’s filling Easter baskets for all the shelter residents or cooking and serving food — which she does at least three times each month — we can always count on Judy.”

The award is named for a longtime Share volunteer who died in 2007.

Others volunteers of the year honored Sunday included Jake Thompson, youth award; Muggs Broselle, individual award; Beth Oliver, Winter Hospitality Overflow award; and First Independent’s Helping Hands, business award.

Honorable mention went to Ben Gough and Jim and Helen Olson.

Share was founded in 1979 with the goal of caring for the homeless and hungry in the greater Vancouver area. Share operates four shelters for the homeless, a transitional housing program, a street outreach program and provides daily meals for the homeless and low-income people.

Share also operates a summer meals program for children from low-income households and a backpack program for children at 28 schools. The backpack program provides weekend food for children receiving free or reduced-price lunches.

More information: http://www.sharevancouver.org.