The first time S. Rosen’s furnished dinner rolls for a BEDS Plus fundraiser, the longtime Chicago-based wholesale bakery sent 50. Back then, it was for a modest potluck dinner. Fast-forward 13 years. My, have things changed.

S. Rosen’s is donating 1,500 dinner rolls for the 14th annual Soup & Bread fundraiser for BEDS Plus that will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Feb. 1. No worries, Bears fans, no playoff games are scheduled that Sunday.

Itanella Urgo, marketing associate for Alpha Baking, the parent company of S. Rosen’s, marveled at the number of rolls.

“Fifteen hundred. That’s really remarkable,” Urgo said. “We know bread. What better way to donate our product and feed those who need it who have continued to show up for this organization and the community.”

S. Rosen’s has been baking bread in Chicago since 1909 and has long donated to causes such as BEDS Plus.

“Who knows? Next year, it may be 2,000 dinner rolls. We’d be perfectly happy with that,” Urgo said. “It keeps getting bigger. We love to be a part of it.”

The mission of BEDS Plus is to help vulnerable individuals stabilize their lives through housing and supportive services. The agency reaches people experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness in west and south Cook County, according to the organization’s website.

This year’s event has a new location. It’s been moved from the Holiday Inn in Countryside across the street to the Countryside Banquet and Conference Center, 6200 Joliet Road.

BEDS Plus Development Manager Erin Molek said the new site “is much bigger and all in one room.”

Previous editions had been held in two rooms at the Holiday Inn. At times, it felt very cramped as more and more people attended every year to sample soups from 20 some restaurants and taverns.

“We’re really excited about being able to accommodate more people,” Molek said.

Molek is grateful for the generosity of S. Rosen’s, noting there’s a symmetry of sorts with folks “breaking bread together” at the event. Also donated are the countless gallons of soup that are enjoyed.

More than 20 taverns and restaurants are supplying a wide range of soups from the Cuban black bean by Steak + Vine to the lobster bisque offered by Kama.

Joining S. Rosen’s as longest-tenured businesses associated with the event is Irish Times, which has worked with the fundraiser since Year One. The Brookfield eatery is providing corned beef and cabbage soup.

There are some new participants this year including Caraway’s from Countryside and Manna from La Grange.

“We’re happy that they’re on board,” Molek said.

“Prasino’s is doing a new soup, a Mexican chicken soup,” Molek said. “Wooden Paddle is new and bringing Italian wedding soup.”

Another newbie is The Country House in Clarendon Hills, which will offer perhaps the most beloved soup in the world.

“They’re bringing some of our wonderful standby, chicken noodle soup, which we want to make sure we always have,” Molek said.

The basic entry cost is $35, up $5 from last year, and there’s a twist this year.

“We’re doing a wristband for $50 that will include (along with unlimited soup) your beverages of choice, any alcoholic beverages,” Molek said.

Beer and wine will be offered. In previous years, the $35 admission included several drink tickets. If you were still thirsty, you had to buy more tickets.

“Of course, we’ll have (live) music,” she said.

Crows of Fury and The Gray Blues are scheduled to perform. New this year is a photo booth. Prize raffles also are offered as in years past.

The past few years have seen a steady increase in attendance and in money raised.

“My goal is always more,” Molek said. “With the new venue, we’d love to see it at $150,000.”

This year’s soup cups will be white with a purple eggplant logo. They’ll also be a tad smaller, which may enable diners to sample more soups because the helpings won’t be as large as in previous years, Molek said.

Chuck Pine, owner and executive chef of Chuck’s Southern Comforts Cafe, will lead the kitchen.

Visit https://soup-and-bread.beds-plus.org for information and to buy tickets. Children age 7 and younger dine for free.

Sponsorships ranging in cost from $500 to $5,000 still are available. You also can volunteer to deliver soup containers to vendors, help set up the venue and other chores. And don’t forget the most important job of all: serving soup.