Press release from Flat Rock Backpack Program:
Due to current public health concerns with COVID-19, the fourth annual “Empty Bowls” fundraiser is postponed until Sunday, September 27, 2020. Current ticket holders are encouraged to hold on to their tickets which will be honored at the event.
Although the fundraiser is being postponed, the Flat Rock Backpack Program will continue to feed at-risk youth and their families at seven Henderson County schools. Donations are gratefully accepted throughout the year, and tickets ($25 per person or $50 for a family of two adults and children under 12) are still being sold by calling 828-693-9783.
Attendees receive one hand-crafted bowl per ticket holder (all donated by area potters) and a meal featuring a variety of soups, breads and desserts. The autumn meal will take place inside the Parish Hall at The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness, 1905 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock. Three seating times are offered at 12:30pm, 5pm and 6pm.
Flat Rock Backpack Program: Each week during the school year, volunteers gather at Hubba Hubba Smokehouse on Friday mornings to pack between 150-180 grocery bags of food, providing nourishment for nursery and school age children identified as those in need of weekend food. Supplemented by food from MANNA FoodBank, volunteers purchase oatmeal, tinned meat, rice, pasta, beans, vegetables and fruit), then pack and deliver bags to the schools where the administration slips the bags into backpacks for discreet home delivery (when there is a home). Each year, the group buys for, and packs approximately 6,000 backpacks at a cost of $22,000. Neighbors from throughout the community donate their time while Saint John in the Wilderness provides technical and administrative assistance (including 501c3 status). The Flat Rock Backpack Program relies on corporate and individual donations, and our local pottery artists, pivotal partners, who generously donate their time and talents for this annual fundraiser.
Empty Bowls was started over 25 years ago in Michigan as a high school service project. The goal is to address hunger needs in local communities. The event concept is a simple one. The community is invited to a meal of soup, bread and dessert (donated by local businesses and organizations). As part of the admission fee, the ticket holders choose a handmade bowl (crafted/donated by local artists) to take home as a thank you gift. The bowl serves as a reminder that as long as children in our community go hungry, we will help.
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