34th Annual Samaritan Center Soup Bowl: Soup, More Than 1,000 Handmade Bowls and a Big Cause

One bowl of soup, one handmade pottery bowl, and a lot of help for local families. Catholic Charities' Samaritan Center holds its 34th Annual Soup Bowl on Thursday, November 5, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Vero Beach Heritage Center, 2140 14th Ave, with soup and bowls also offered at a record number of locations across Indian River County.

Tables of colorful handmade pottery bowls made by Indian River Clay potters for the Samaritan Center Soup Bowl — More than 1,000 handmade bowls by the potters of Indian River Clay. Photo courtesy of the Samaritan Center.

How the Soup Bowl works

Stop by the Heritage Center any time between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Soup is offered for a donation of $5 a bowl or $15 a quart. The real treasure is the pottery: one-of-a-kind handmade bowls for a $20 donation, each one made by the artists of Indian River Clay. Many people buy a bowl every year and keep a growing collection on the shelf.

Every dollar supports the Samaritan Center and its work with families experiencing homelessness in Indian River County: transitional housing, essential supplies and services that help families reach independence.

With the simple act of buying a bowl of soup or pottery, anyone can join us in helping families go from homelessness to living independently. You'll help some of the neediest in our community, and in return, receive artfully crafted bowls that serve as gifts, keepsakes, and powerful reminders of your kindness.
Renee Bireley, Samaritan Center Development Manager

More than 1,000 bowls, all made by hand

Indian River Clay potters and volunteers produce and donate more than 1,000 one-of-a-kind bowls for the event, according to the Samaritan Center. The studio's own website says its members make over 1,200 handmade soup bowls each year for the cause. Every bowl is different: speckled glazes, carved patterns, bright painted flowers, deep ocean blues.

Brightly painted handmade pottery bowls made for the 2026 Samaritan Center Soup Bowl — Beautiful bowls made for the Samaritan Center Soup Bowl. Photo courtesy of the Samaritan Center.

A pink handmade pottery bowl on a clear stand — Beautiful bowls made for the Samaritan Center Soup Bowl. Photo courtesy of the Samaritan Center.

We are honored to host Treasure Coast potters and volunteers in creating the bowls making this a true community partnership.
Kim Mayo, Indian River Clay

Indian River Clay volunteer Patti Quick holding up a blue handmade bowl for the Soup Bowl — Indian River Clay volunteer Patti Quick shows off one of the bowls for this year's event. Photo courtesy of the Samaritan Center.

Indian River Clay potter Ken Gioeli holding a pink handmade bowl — Indian River Clay volunteer Patti Quick shows off one of the bowls for this year's event. Photo courtesy of the Samaritan Center.

A record number of locations this year

This year's Soup Bowl brings together a record number of Indian River County businesses, country clubs, places of worship and community groups serving soup, offering pottery, or both. The Samaritan Center names real estate companies Dale Sorensen and Billero & Billero Properties, the Community Church of Vero Beach and St. Sebastian Catholic Church, and community groups including the Vero Beach Art Club and the Vero Beach Woman's Club. The Vero Beach Police Department and the Indian River County Sheriff's Office are taking part again, and many area country clubs, including Vero Beach Country Club and Grand Harbor, are making soup.

The full list of locations and what each one is serving is on the Samaritan Center Soup Bowl Facebook page.

Two Samaritan Center Advisory Committee members serving soup from large pots at the Soup Bowl — Liza Parr and Pat Pellington, members of the Samaritan Center Advisory Committee, serve soup at last year's Soup Bowl. Photo courtesy of the Samaritan Center.

Why soup?

Now in its 34th year, the Soup Bowl began when the Samaritan Center's Advisory Board recognized that people experiencing homelessness often had only a humble bowl of soup to sustain them each day. They chose the soup bowl as a reminder that in a fast-paced, abundant world, many people are still in need of life's basics. Partnering with the artists of Indian River Clay, they built a community fundraiser that still raises critical funds for families today.

What your donation does

The Samaritan Center is a transitional residential home for families with children experiencing homelessness in Indian River County. It is open to families of all faiths and is a core program of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach, a funded partner of the United Way and the Indian River County Children's Services Advisory Council.

According to Catholic Charities, families stay an average of six to nine months. Parents must work, open a bank account and save 75 percent of their earnings, and they take part in classes on parenting, budgeting, health and safety, and running a household. The center reports that 90 percent of clients are living independently six months after leaving the program at Level III or higher. Since its founding, the Samaritan Center says it has helped 750 families and more than 1,250 children build brighter futures.

Two Samaritan Center volunteers holding handmade Soup Bowl pottery bowls — Samaritan Center volunteers Lisa Parr and Karen Egan show off Soup Bowl pottery made by potters at Indian River Clay. Photo courtesy of the Samaritan Center.

Plan your visit

When: Thursday, November 5, 2026, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: The Heritage Center, 2140 14th Ave, Vero Beach, and more than 20 locations countywide
Soup: $5 a bowl, $15 a quart
Pottery: $20 a bowl
Event listing: 34th Annual Samaritan Center Soup Bowl on the Vero Vine calendar
Questions: Renee Bireley, Samaritan Center Development Manager, (772) 770-3039, [email protected]

Learn more about the Samaritan Center at Catholic Charities.

Have a favorite Soup Bowl bowl in your collection? Tell us which year it came from in the comments on our Facebook post.

Sources: Samaritan Center press releases of October 1 and October 26, 2026; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach; Indian River Clay. Photos courtesy of the Samaritan Center and Indian River Clay.

Author
Recent Posts

Ava Cook

Community Manager at Vero Vine

Hello!
My name is Ava Cook and I am a Freshman at Florida Southern College in Lakeland FL. I am currently a B.F.A musical theatre major with a minor in Business Administration. I love reading, singing, acting, dancing, and writing. My favorite part about Vero Beach and Indian River County as a whole is how close the community is. Vero Vine is important to me as it allows me to do my part it bringing the community together also, sharing events, small businesses, and other local happenings. If you have any questions or any recommendations for me, my email is always open [email protected].