Empty Bowls 2023

This evening, we hope to not just raise much needed operational funds but to also share stories of impact. Stories like our friend Rick’s, who has been a member of the Food Club for four months. A single man living on a fixed income, he shared with us recently that his membership at the Food Club is saving him at least $100 a month, allowing him to purchase gas for his truck and pay for his ever-increasing household expenses.

The latest findings show more than 45% of Mason County struggle with food insecurity. In addition, more than 30% of Mason County residents live in what the USDA defines as a food desert.

We currently serve over 550 unique households each month in our nonprofit grocery store. These are qualifying households that are at or below 200% of the current federal poverty guidelines. We have more than 1300 orders run through our register every month. Our membership has grown by 60% over the last two quarters and our food costs have increased by more than 25% during the same time period.

We still have a lot of work to do in our fight to provide dignified access to fresh, healthy foods and combat food insecurity, and we cannot do it alone.