BRATTLEBORO — Planning is well underway for the 14th annual Empty Bowls Dinner to be held at Landmark College on Oct. 7.
This community dinner, which supports Groundworks Collaborative Food Shelf on South Main Street in Brattleboro, is made possible by many collective efforts and an impressive cadre of volunteers.
Local potters contribute bowls, local eateries donate home-cooked soups, and musicians share their talents. For a $25 donation, participants will enjoy live music and a delicious meal in a handcrafted bowl they take home afterward.
The Empty Bowls Dinner will take place at Landmark College. All proceeds support the Groundworks Collaborative Food Shelf, which has served more than 1,000 individuals in about 250 households each month this year.
Joining the Empty Bowls Steering Committee is a great opportunity to contribute and make a great community tradition even stronger. Last year, the Empty Bowls Dinner raised more than $28,000, and organizers hope to reach $30,000 this year.
Volunteers are needed to help with planning activities, event preparations, and on the night of the event. Opportunities to get involved range from procuring soup donations from local restaurants in advance of the dinner to washing bowls and serving food at the event. Individuals, families, groups, and teams are encouraged to volunteer together.
Groundworks Collaborative is the agency created by the merger of the Brattleboro Area Drop In Center and Morningside Shelter. The organization continues to operate the region's largest and busiest food shelf, a 30-bed shelter for families and individuals, the Seasonal Overflow Shelter and Day Shelter, while providing housing case management, and a Representative Payee service.