MORGANTOWN — You might wake up, eat breakfast, by the middle of the day you’re looking forward to lunch and then after dinner you go to bed and do it all over again the next day –but food insecurity is a real problem many face every day.
According to Feeding America, 13.4% of the US population was food insecure in 2015. In Monongalia County 15.9% of were reported as food insecure, and worse, many of those who face food insecurity are reported as children or the elderly.
Empty Bowls has been a staple in Monongalia County efforts to help feed the hungry since 2007. A grassroots program, Empty Bowls was started in 1990 by high school teacher John Hartom. In initially started as the very popular soup and bowl luncheon where donors who attended kept an empty soup bowl to remind them of food disparity across the world.
Those in the Morgantown community come out every year to support Empty Bowls at their soup luncheon. The fundraiser is their biggest event of the year. Growing every year, what started as something where around 800 people would show has turned to one that brings out nearly 2,000 to raise funds for area food pantries and organizations.
But this year, Empty Bowls is swinging for the fences and trying something new. This year they’re starting their Spring Gala fundraiser.
“Empty Bowls has been in existence since 2007, and of course, the hallmark event is the winter soup and bread luncheon. We have decided that we would like to have another opportunity for folks to support Empty Bowls,” said Mavis Grant-Lilley, founder of Empty Bowls and co-chair of the upcoming event.
Mavis Grant-Lilley is the founder and Empty Bowls’ first president. With her dedication to the organization it soon became a community engaged effort. Empty Bowls is entirely volunteer based- and they work tirelessly to serve Monongalia County.
Service is something she’s no stranger to, especially when it comes to making sure those in need have a meal on the table. She founded the local chapter of Empty Bowls in 2007. In April she became the president of the Morgantown Area Meals on Wheels for the 2018-2019 year.
Grant-Lilley said the evening will be filled fine wines and a marvelous buffet dinner, tempting deserts, jazz music and silent and live auctions.
“We have a number of items that have already been confirmed for the auction list. We’ve got private wine tasting. We’ve got a time-share opportunity in Mexico. We’ve got weekends in Canaan Valley. We’ve got West Virginia-themed baskets that have been made up. We have some jewelry, an Empty Bowls quilt. We just have a number of really nice items that will be available,” she said.
It’s limited to around 125 people and she said tickets are a pricier than other events, but at this price guests are not only helping a good cause of are going to reap the benefit of a decadent menu as well as wine and live entertainment. The jazz music will be provided by Jenny Wilson through the reception and, during the dinner, by the Jared Sims Trio.
“Invitations have been sent, but we are certainly welcoming other people, and of course it will be a first-come-first-served opportunity for people to reserve their spot at the table,” she said.
The money raised at the gala will go back into the 22 agencies Empty Bowls serves in Monongalia County. That number includes about 16,000 residents, including 2,600 children. These agencies provide hot meals to their hungry friends and neighbors, nutritious groceries to their food pantries and food-filled backpacks for school children.
“We’re just going to hold this first one and see how it goes. Hopefully, we intend for this to be an annual event. This first one we’re calling a Wine & Jazz Spring Gala. It won’t always necessarily be wine and jazz, but it will be called the spring gala,” she said.
She said the event will be on June 2nd. The reception is at 6 and the dinner is at 7 at Benton Grove Bed & Banquets.
The RSVP is due back by May 10th. The menu, wine list and reservation cards are on the website. Tickets can also be purchased on the Empty Bowls website. For more info contact emptybowlsmon@gmail.com or (304) 241-5510.
