Volunteers will be stirring the pot Saturday — not in controversy but in a community-wide effort to help needy individuals in Isle of Wight County.

About 30 local churches will donate pots of homemade soup designed to satisfy any palate for Souper Saturday, scheduled this year on Oct. 15, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church in downtown Smithfield.

The family-style meal also features hot dogs, ham biscuits and dessert — all for $5 for adults and $3 for children. Eat-in or take-out.

Tickets are available at local churches as well as the Christian Outreach building at 402 Grace St. in Smithfield.

All proceeds go toward heating fuel assistance administered by Isle of Wight County Social Services. In 2014, proceeds from Souper Saturday were sufficient to assist 79 families in Isle of Wight County.

Souper Saturday began 25 years ago when Christ Episcopal Church and Good Shepherd Catholic Church hosted the first soup dinner. Other churches joined in and it became what is now Isle of Wight Christian Outreach.

The annual ecumenical meal was formerly paired with the Hog Jog and Town and Country Day. This year, organizers decided to move the day of the event to the 15th because the addition of the Vintage Market — estimated to attract thousands — was just one event too many in an already crowded downtown line-up of activities. 

The Vintage Market, however, was cancelled due to Hurricane Matthew and is rescheduled for Nov.  12.