Jan 18, 2018 3 min read

Washington Citywide Development Corp. and Washington County Food Bank are teaming up to raise $10,000 while also promoting awareness of food insecurity throughout Washington County with a soup tasting event on Feb. 11.

The “Empty Bowls … Full Hearts” event will take place at the Masonic Lodge, 44 W. Wheeling St., Washington, and the proceeds will go directly to the Greater Washington County Food Bank.

“We really wanted to do an event to promote the community and have a benefit for a local charity,” Christy Bean Rowing, executive director of the Washington CDC, said. “Given the time of year and the weather, what better way to do this for the people here in Washington in support of the food bank?”

In addition to raising money for the food bank, Rowling said the event will be a success if those who attend are able to learn about those who are dealing with food insecurity. She added that understanding how hunger is a common problem, with an estimated 28,000 people in Washington County lacking adequate means to obtain food, is also an important element of the event.

“Your neighbors may be experiencing food insecurity and you may not even know it,” Rowling said.

The tasting will feature soups from Chicco Baccello, The Washington Brewing Co., Mr. Gyros and Fortuitea Café and Bakery. At least seven sponsors have signed on to pledge additional monetary support for the fundraiser.

But why soup?

“Soup is a great meal that helps to illustrate both the need for some to make do with what is in your pantry and also the warm and comforting feeling that comes from warm soup,” Rowling said. “It is a message that resonates with all.”

For Connie Burd, executive director of the food bank, a partnership with the Washington CDC will be beneficial for the whole community. She expressed gratitude for such an opportunity.

“I’m delighted that they reached out to us and that they chose us to be a beneficiary of the event,” Burd said. “We don’t want anyone to wonder where their next meal is coming from.”

The food bank will be able to turn the $10,000 raised into nearly $50,000 worth of value, given its purchasing power. The largest costs, Burd said, are not the food items themselves, which come from plenty of donors, but the operating costs of transporting the food around the county. The fundraiser will help offset the costs of diesel, gasoline and maintenance of its transport vehicles.

“The $10,000 in operation funds goes a very long way,” Burd said. “We’re very frugal with the dollars that we receive.”

With a purpose of promoting economic growth, neighborhood revitalization and the enhancement of quality of life in the community, the Washington CDC’s mission and partnership with the food bank aims to capitalize on their different resources to bring more awareness of food insecurity, and to help those who are in need of it.

Tickets to the event are limited, but the Washington CDC is hoping to sell 200 at $20 a piece. Sponsorships will pick up the remaining tab to get to the $10,000 goal.

For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, contact Rowing at crowing@pcrg.org or 412-660-3283.