Tickets on Sale Now for the 1st Annual Empty Bowls Dinner!

The Franklin Food Pantry and the Franklin High School Empty Bowls Club have joined forces to co-host the 1^st Annual Empty Bowls Dinner on Wednesday, April 27 from 6 – 8 p.m. in the Franklin High School cafeteria. The event, which includes a simple meal of soup and bread, is meant to remind guests of the many “empty bowls” that exist in the lives of those who experience hunger.

Attendees will choose a hand-painted, ceramic bowl to take home as a reminder that “somewhere, someone’s bowl is empty.” A silent auction will feature select pieces that have been created and painted by members of the FHS Empty Bowls Club, and local youth, adult and corporate groups. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Franklin Food Pantry and will be used to fight hunger locally.

These ceramic bowls, made by students in the Empty Bowls Club at Franklin High School, will be given to guests at the 1^st Annual Empty Bowls Dinner on April 27.

 

“The Empty Bowls Dinner will bring together members of our community who are working together to fight hunger,” says Erin Lynch, executive director of the Franklin Food Pantry. “We hope it will be a powerful reminder of the many people who struggle to put enough food on the table. We are thrilled to partner with the Franklin High School Empty Bowls Club to address the vital issue of hunger. We look forward to attracting all ages at this family-friendly event.”

Students in the Empty Bowls Club have been making ceramic bowls throughout the year to be used at the dinner. “Our students are excited to be part of such a meaningful effort,” said Brenna Johnson, FHS art teacher and instructor for the Empty Bowls Club. “It is rewarding for them to use their creativity to contribute to such a worthy cause. The true impact of their hard work will be felt on the night of our big event.”

Tickets must be bought in advance and can be purchased at the Franklin Food Pantry. Seating is limited so tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children and students. Payment must be made in cash or checks payable to the Franklin Food Pantry. The Pantry will hold “Box Office Hours” to sell tickets at its 43 W. Central Street location (on Route 140 across from the Franklin Fire Station) during the following times:  

March 31, 5-7 pm

April 4, 11 am – 1 pm
April 5, 4 – 6 pm
April 7, 5 – 7 pm
April 11, 11 am – 1 pm
April 12, 4 – 6 pm
April 14, 5 – 7 pm
April 19, 4 – 6 pm
April 21, 5 – 7 pm

Empty Bowls is an international grass roots effort to fight hunger and raise funds to support local pantries. The Franklin Food Pantry and the FHS Empty Bowls Club work together to support the cause locally. The ceramic bowls are created throughout the year by the Empty Bowls Club and various corporate and community groups organized by the Pantry through its Empty Bowls Project. For more information, or to arrange for your group to help make bowls for the dinner event, visit Empty Bowls Project or call 508-528-3115.

Local teenagers participated in the Pantry's Empty Bowls Project to paint bowls  for the 1^st Annual Empty Bowls Dinner.

 This ceramic bowl is just one example of the pieces that will be available through the silent auction.

 

 

Franklin Food Elves Bring in Record Donations – Again!

The Franklin Food Elves did it again! The final donation numbers are in, and the Elves are pleased to announce that the “12 Days of Donating” Campaign has collected more than four tons (or 8,001 pounds) of goods, and more than $11,000 for the Franklin Food Pantry.

These numbers beat last year’s record totals by more than 1,500 pounds of food, and nearly $3,000. The success was due to the hard work of more than 120 Food Elves, along with tremendous support from the community and local businesses. The Food Elves, increasing by 35 elves this year, has grown every year in popularity among local elementary, middle and high school students.

 

As the Food Elves canvassed local neighborhoods for food and monetary donations, Franklin businesses did their part by placing donation bins at their locations and pledging cash donations to support the cause. Those businesses included Chestnut Dental Associates, DCU, Dean Bank, Dean College, Emma’s Quilt Cupboard, Franklin Downtown Partnership Office, Jane’s Frames, Keefe Insurance Agency, Murphy Business, Pour Richard’s Wine & Spirits, SELF Aesthetics and Therapeutic Specialists, Medical Spa and The Adirondack Club.

“We are overwhelmed by the amount of support we received this year from the Franklin Food Elves, member businesses of the Franklin Downtown Partnership, and our community,” said Erin Lynch, executive director of the Franklin Food Pantry. “Thanks to the hard work of the Food Elves, we will be able to continue helping our families who are struggling to put food on their tables.”

For the first time, the Food Elves gave residents the option of making monetary donations in addition to, or in lieu of, food. Monetary gifts allow the Pantry to supplement food donations with more nutritious and fresh food, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meats.

“The response was incredible,” said Lynch. “Not only did we break all records in the amount of food we received, we are able to supplement the nonperishable donations with fresh, protein-rich and nutritious foods. We could not be more grateful.”

 

For more information about the Food Elves and the "12 Days of Donating" Campaign, please contact the Food Elves at franklinfoodelves@yahoo.com.