Teenage twins Carson and Zack Sisk felt they should volunteer more often after witnessing homeless women and children struggling to find food and basic clothing.

The Sisks, along with 110 other middle- and high-school-age students, gathered Saturday morning at Myers Park Baptist Church to give back through Souper Bowl of Caring - a national service project for teens that helps fight hunger and poverty in their own communities, said Gerri Fieno, North Carolina director of Souper Bowl of Caring.

"We have a lot, and there are people who don't," said Zack, 14, of Charlotte. "It's important to look at it from their perspective. By us helping, that's a day they don't have to go hungry."

This is the second year the project has been in Charlotte. Last year, N.C. Souper Bowl participants collected $328,352 in cash and food for charities.

Teens kicked off the day of service with breakfast and listened to retired NFL cornerback Steve Israel speak about the importance of serving others in the community. Israel began in the NFL in 1992 and played for teams including the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots.

"What we're doing, what you're doing, exemplifies what Christ has done," Israel said to the crowd. "You're to be commended for coming out on a Saturday morning because it's a humongous blessing for the people you are serving."

Following breakfast, teens went to serve at Crisis Assistance Ministry, Salvation Army Center of Hope, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and the Urban Ministry Center.

On a daily basis, Shay Merritt, community development coordinator at Second Harvest, sees dozens of adults who are struggling to survive. They have lost their jobs, are unemployed, have children and lack proper nutrition.

"People don't realize how many people live so close to the edge with only one paycheck," Merritt said. "They are people like you and me."

Merritt relies on the help of about 90 volunteers every day to run Second Harvest Food Bank. "Volunteers double our manpower," she said. "And right now we've got a huge need."

She said she enjoys having teens volunteer at the food bank because they have high energy levels. During Souper Bowl of Caring, teens were responsible for sorting nonperishables, inspecting and bagging sweet potatoes and fresh bread, and organizing hygiene items for pickup.

Throughout the 2010-11 year, Second Harvest distributed 37 million pounds of food to its 19-county service region. It also help provide children with backpacks filled with ready-to-eat food for weekends and holidays. "People who need food need everything," Merritt said.

"Everyone should pitch in if they have the power to do so," said volunteer Brooke Bagwell, 17.

To put poverty into perspective, teens also participated in a poverty simulation led by Crisis Assistance Ministry, where they used candies as money to budget for a family of four for the month. Most realized they needed to sacrifice housing locations, technologies and transportation to scrape by.

"Fathers are out here struggling, there are mothers out here struggling and youth out here struggling," Israel said. "You never know who you're going to bless."