Join Us This Friday at The 9th Annual Friday Knights Hunger Bowl Supporting St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry
Evansville, IN — The 9th Annual Friday KNIGHTS Hunger Bowl is this Friday, September 12 at Enlow Field at Bosse High School. Join us for kickoff at 6:30 p.m. featuring a spirited matchup between the Reitz Memorial Tigers and the Mater Dei Wildcats.
While facts and statistics prove the NEED to support our local community and the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, this is the “Why.”
Why This Matters: Consequences of Hunger
- Children’s Development: Food insecurity impairs physical and mental growth, resulting in issues like delayed development, higher illness rates, and lower academic performance—including increased likelihood of grade retention.
- Mental Health & Education: Hunger contributes to anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and reduced concentration—all adversely affecting learning outcomes.
- Rural vs. Urban Disparities: Food insecurity tends to be higher in rural and urban core areas—like parts of Evansville—compared to suburban regions, where access and economic stability are often better.
The Role of the SVdP Food Pantry
The Pantry:
- Provides consistent, free access to nutritious food for low-income families, seniors, and children
- Operates in the heart of high-poverty, high-need neighborhoods
- Helps fill the gap for the 56% of food-insecure Hoosiers who earn too much to qualify for SNAP yet still cannot afford basic groceries
- Plays an especially critical role for children, whose mental development, educational performance, and long-term outcomes are all impacted by hunger
In short — without the SVdP Food Pantry, thousands of Vanderburgh County residents would experience severe hunger on a regular basis.
Why the Hunger Bowl Matters
The Hunger Bowl is far more than a community football game. It is one of the single most important fundraising events supporting the operations of the SVdP Food Pantry.
With the loss of a major supplier that previously donated $120,000 worth of groceries annually, the need to replace those resources locally has become urgent. The Hunger Bowl directly helps:
- Restock pantry shelves
- Cover the meal cost gap ($3.52 per meal locally)
- Ensure that children, seniors, and working families in Evansville don’t fall through the cracks
Bottom Line
At a time when:
- National food insecurity is at its highest level in a decade
- Local food deserts are expanding
- And SNAP eligibility gaps are leaving thousands unserved—
The SVdP Food Pantry has never been more essential.
And the Hunger Bowl has never been more critical to its continued success.
By supporting the Hunger Bowl, donors and community members are directly helping bridge the gap between what vulnerable residents need and what they can access. It is not just a fundraiser — it is an investment in food security, dignity, and hope for our community.
Donations can be made directly to St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry online at: https://www.fridayknightshungerbowl.org
Web Page: https://www.fridayknightshungerbowl.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FridayKnightsHungerBowl
Knights of Columbus: http://www.kofc.org
Knights of SW Indiana: https://www.facebook.com/kofcswindiana
For more information on the Knights of Columbus and Hunger Bowl contact:
John Sandwell
812-250-1923 johnjudysandwell@gmail.com
Mark Hackert
812-319-6403 mhackert76@gmail.com
Contact At St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry
Dr. Ashley Newell , Executive Director SVdP/Evansville 812-602-5182 anewell@svdpevansville.org
