The statistics are sobering.
As more people find themselves in financial distress, the demand for services at the Highlands Food Pantry is continuing to boom.
That is what makes the 2023 edition of the food pantry’s annual “Empty Bowls” fundraiser more important than ever. The event will be held on Sunday, Sept. 24 at First Presbyterian Church on Main Street in Highlands. Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and tickets are $25 per person.
The Highlands Food Pantry has seen a record number of guests using their services this year. From January to July, the food pantry served an average of around 426 families, 1,574 individuals, and 33 new families each month. This increase in demand has created budget constraints and impacted the ability to serve clients.
Food pantry director Bonnie Dayton noted that it costs roughly $5,000 per month for the pantry to be able to meet its needs. Empty Bowls is the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
The fundraiser is a collaboration between the International Friendship Center, which manages the food pantry, First Presbyterian Church of Highlands, and The Bascom Center for the Visual Arts. All guests who purchase an empty bowls ticket get to choose a hand-crafted bowl from an artist at The Bascom that they get to keep. The hardworking potters have created 400 bowls for this year’s event and the goal of course is to put them all to use.
As for the lunch itself, several Highlands area restaurants have lent their talents to creating delicious soups to fill the vessels. There will also be dessert available.
If you can’t make it this Sunday, the food pantry can always benefit from financial donations to support its operation. Depending on needs, the pantry may also benefit from volunteers and food donations. They can also benefit from home goods and cleaning products as well as personal hygiene items, including toothbrushes and toothpaste, razors, and soap.
For more information on the food pantry or its needs, contact info@internationalfriendshipcenter.org.