SPRUCE PINE — The annual Empty Bowls silent auction and dinner fundraiser was on in full force Saturday, Aug. 14 at Spruce Pine First Baptist Church.
Empty Bowls is the major annual fundraiser for local food bank Shepherd’s Staff. All proceeds go to support the people the food bank serves in Mitchell County and surrounding areas.
Shepherd’s Staff has held an Empty Bowls event for more than a decade, but 2020 marked the first time the event went completely virtual amid the pandemic.
Two of the event organizers, Larry Davis and Cynthia Nash, were happy to see folks back in the building for an in-person event in 2021.
“This one is our first one back with a few less tickets, space and masks,” Davis said. “But the attendance is still there.
The event’s silent auction also helps Shepherd’s Staff.
“We have a silent auction of donated art pieces from community artists, so people get on those and take them home,” Nash said. “We have centerpieces with flowers for sale and, of course, delicious soups from our local restaurants, churches and some of our businesses help provide drinks and bread and such. It’s a real community effort to benefit the community.”
Davis said the support is a true boon for Shepherd’s Staff.
“Last year we served 3,800 boxes to 9,500 clients,” he said. “The need is there. There’s a lot of programs but there are people that fall between the cracks. A little more than 50 percent of the elderly that are eligible for food stamps aren’t signed up. They rely on neighbors to help.”