For the past four years, Prairie State's employees have been "kicking off" their Souper Bowl food drive the Monday after the Super Bowl, to help local families and children in need. Non-perishable food items and cash donations support the CHOW program at Okawville Grade School and the Marissa Food Pantry.
Parents at Okawille Grade School established the “Combating Hunger On Weekends” program, better known as CHOW. Parents and teachers noticed that children in the free and reduced lunch program were not receiving meals at home over the weekends. Through this program, over 50 children in need receive a bag of ready-to-eat foods each Friday when they leave school