As the rain poured down and the cold winds blew on Monday, the Kootenai County Administration Building meeting rooms were a sea of crock pots filled with 43 homemade entries in the 9th Annual Soup and Bread Contest. Hosted by the Assessor's office, the popular event drew nearly 200 people who happily forked over five bucks each to sample the entries. My favorite, the Southwestern White Chicken Chili, is pictured here. But the best part of the event is that the proceeds are used by the Assessor's department to provide several holiday baskets to randomly-drawn recipients of the Circuit Breaker* program. Kudos to the great cooks from all of the county's departments who participated and to Mike McDowell's staff who make it all happen. *low-income taxpayers who are 65 and older, disabled or widowed.
Wish I had known - I love making soup & I would have entered!!
ReplyDeleteIn 2001, after suffering a severe brain injury, I was placed on permanent disability - and our family was enrolled in the circut breaker. That year, our family's name was drawn by the staff at the assessor's office. (single mom, three kids) To date, it was the best Christmas ever. More than a basket, a SUV and county van showed up with more gifts and supplies than my living room could hold.
ReplyDeleteIt is a Christmas we still talk about. We were blessed beyond measure. In the next few years, because of the wonderful support of people in our community and amazing physicians, what was thought to be a permanent disability, I am now recovered almost 100%. It was people and programs like this one that offered hope when we needed it most.
This is the first time I have been able to make a public thank you to the Assessor's office - and thank you Keri for focusing on the gift that this program gives to needy families every year...