Empty Bowls Event Highlights Placer County Senior Hunger
Rocklin, Calif – Nearly 30 percent of our senior neighbors in Placer County are challenged with food insecurity. This means they often struggle to make ends meet and are faced with making trade-offs between purchasing food vs. paying for medicine and/or paying their bills.
As part of an international grassroots effort to create community collaboration projects to raise both money and awareness in the fight to end senior hunger, Seniors First is planning an Empty Bowls community fundraiser dinner.
“As the Meals on Wheels provider for Placer County, our staff and volunteers at Seniors First see food insecurity among our seniors on a daily basis,” says Stephanie Vierstra, Executive Director for Seniors First.
The Empty Bowls community dinner will be held on Thursday, February 7, 2019, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Rocklin Event Center, at 2650 Sunset Blvd. in Rocklin.
Potters, crafters, educators, students and volunteers are creating handcrafted bowls; local restaurants and businesses are donating soup, pasta, bread, dessert and wine to enjoy; and local officials will help to serve the food. Guests choose a bowl to take home as a reminder of the empty bowls in our community. Every person who purchases a ticket gets to take home a bowl. Extra bowls will also be available for purchase at the event. 100% of the proceeds of this event will benefit seniors that Seniors First assists.
How Can I Help?
Community members can help in many ways: get a group together and visit a nearby pottery painting studio, then paint and donate bowls. In Auburn, Froggy Ceramics is waiving their studio fee for bowl donations to the Seniors First’ Empty Bowls event so you only pay for the bowl. Community members can donate a silent auction item, become an event sponsor, or purchase a ticket and invite friends.
About Seniors First
Seniors First has been providing services to older adults in Placer County since 1971. Each year, we serve more than 22,500 meals in our senior cafés, deliver over 40,000 meals to homebound seniors, provide 12,000 rides to medical appointments and other essential errands, provide information and assistance services, distribute senior resource guides, provide recreation and respite for families living with Alzheimer’s or dementia and provide a program for isolated seniors. Our mission is to provide long-term support and services to help Placer County older adults maintain their independence and thrive.