Grass Valley, Calif. (March 9, 2020) – The 14th annual Empty Bowl benefit for Hospitality House returns to Peace Lutheran Church this Saturday, March 14, 2020 to raise support for individuals struggling with homelessness. But amid growing concerns of Coronavirus, the event is “bowling” in a new direction out of caution and safety for the community.
The focus of Empty Bowl is to raise financial support for individuals struggling with homelessness by joining together for a hot bowl of soup served in a handcrafted bowl made by local artists. Participants with tickets will still have an opportunity to hand-select beautiful bowls this Saturday at their designated event seating time outside the church, but to err on the side of caution, scheduled activities inside the church have been cancelled.
To lessen the possibility of exposure and to increase safety, Hospitality House is proactively moving the event outdoors into the parking lot of Peace Lutheran, rain or shine, for event attendees to hand-select their bowls in a large open space and clean air environment to reduce health risks. With these changes, food and drinks will no longer be served, and homeless guest testimonials have been cancelled. Event participants will still have an opportunity to participate in a raffle to win amazing prizes, such as a trip to South Lake Tahoe, gift cards to Friar Tuck’s, Sopa Thai Cuisine, New Moon, Wild Eye Pub as well as an opportunity win one-of-a-kind art pieces, not available in local stores. Donations onsite will gladly be accepted with all proceeds supporting the homeless shelter.
Tickets are still on sale at hhshelter.org, at BriarPatch Food Co-op and at Bread & Roses Thrift and More. Patrons with tickets should still arrive in their designated event time window of either 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., or 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. BUY YOUR TICKET HERE>
“Empty Bowl is about standing in solidarity with our homeless community. We ask the community to please continue to stand with us,” said Ashley Quadros, Development Director of Hospitality House. “The Center for Global Health indicates homeless people are at ‘double the risk’ of contracting Coronavirus. Now more than ever, we need the community’s support.”
“With people cold and starving on the streets, our bowls have never been this empty,” shared Nancy Baglietto, Executive Director of Hospitality House. “We know these changes will impact attendance and adversely affect our fundraising efforts, but it’s a decision we believe is necessary.”
Individuals unable to attend Empty Bowl are encouraged to make a donation to help Hospitality House take preventive steps to lessen the likelihood of illness at the shelter and to help as many people as possible receive food and care at times of uncertainty.