CBS 19 - The Eye of East Texas News - Buy a bowl, give a meal: Chick-Fil-A, Salvation Army team up

Buy a bowl, give a meal: Chick-Fil-A, Salvation Army team up

(KYTX) - Buy a bowl, give a meal. That's the message Chick-Fil-A restaurants and the Salvation Army are trying to spread. CBS 19's Amanda Roberson explains how a bowl of soup for you can mean a warm meal of other East Texans.

"Sometimes I can eat, sometimes I can't."

Joseph Haynes is enjoying one of the thousands of meals Tyler's Salvation Army will serve today. "I get to come here with my girlfriend, and then we eat the food and it's pretty good. It's because you can't go anywhere else."

Vicki Hastings of the Salvation Army says the number of people relying on their meal services is growing.

"Most of them don't live in our shelter but they just have a hard time making ends meet throughout the week for meals."

Meals you can help provide by simply ordering soup at a participating Chick-Fil-A restaurant. For every bowl customers order, Chick-Fil-A will donate a bowl to the Salvation Army clients.

"Their support is immeasurable and it's just so important to us. Not only is it helpful to our clients and to us but it helps us to feel like we really have people behind us," said Hastings. 

The campaign ends Friday, and Haynes hopes when you help yourself to some soup, you'll help him, too.

"It's pretty good. I'm hoping people will buy more soup, because I like the soup and I'm hoping they buy the soup so I can eat it here for free," said Haynes.

Another way you can help support the Salvation Army: This Thursday (February 11) the organization will host a Chili Bowl & Auction.

The event is set for Harvey Hall from 5pm - 8pm. Tickets are $10.