College to host annual Empty Bowls Charity Dinner March 13, 2015
17th Annual Empty Bowls Charity Dinner
When: Friday, March 13, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20 in advance/$25 at the door
Info: Contact Diane Hotaling at 757.455.3216 or dhotaling@vwu.edu
By Staff | February 19, 2015
At the 17th Annual Empty Bowls Charity Dinner, guests will warm their bellies with freshly prepared soups, bread and dessert. But more importantly, they’ll leave knowing that they’ve helped alleviate hunger in our community.
This popular annual fundraiser, taking place Friday, March 13, in Boyd Dining Center at Virginia Wesleyan College, has become a Hampton Roads tradition. Sponsored by the Ceramic Designers Association (CDA), the dinner benefits various local charities that provide nourishment for those in need, including the Help and Emergency Response (H.E.R.) Shelter for Domestic Violence, Oasis Social Ministry, the Judeo Christian Outreach Center, the Union Mission and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.
“VWC's partnership with the CDA has proven to be an enduring relationship that has helped to address the hunger issues in our local community,” says VWC Director of Community Service Diane Hotaling. “We look forward to many more years of crafting bowls and serving modest meals to bring attention to this critical need in South Hampton Roads.”
For a $20 ticket, each guest enjoys a supper of soup and takes home a handcrafted bowl donated by a local artist. There are around 800 bowls to choose from, and live entertainment, a silent auction and potter’s wheel demonstrations are all part of the evening.
Sodexo, the company that provides food services for Virginia Wesleyan College, generously most of the ingredients for the soups served at the Empty Bowls Dinner. The company’s charitable arm, the Sodexo Foundation, is “committed to being a driving and creative force that contributes to a hunger-free nation.”
In addition to this annual event, VWC’s Dining Services partners with the College’s Office of Community Service throughout the year to support the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore’s Kid's Cafe program. Staff and student volunteers work every other Wednesday evening for “Cooking for Kids.” They prepare meals to be used in after school feeding programs. Each year, about 20,000 such meals are prepared on the Wesleyan campus. Dining Services also helps with the annual Winter Homeless Shelter on campus by cooking donated food each night of the shelter.
Last year, the Empty Bowls event raised approximately $16,000. Event organizers hope to exceed that amount in 2015. Tickets are for sale on the Ceramic Designers Association website, and also at VWC’s Scribner Bookstore in the Batten Student Center (open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily). They can also be purchased at the following locations: Naro Expanded Video (1511 Colley Ave., Norfolk); The Creative Wedge (630 Hilltop West Shopping Center, Virginia Beach); Tin Soldiers Forgotten Treasures (3725 Shore Dr., Virginia Beach).