For the fifth year, local ceramic artists will fire up their kilns to help hungry children in our area as the Flat Rock Backpack Program hosts its Empty Bowls meal. The community meal will be held Sunday, April 24, with three seatings — 12:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. — at The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness.
Each week during the school year, Flat Rock volunteers gather on Friday mornings to pack between 100 and 125 grocery bags with food. The food bags provide supplemental nourishment for area nursery and school age children identified as needing weekend food.
Volunteers buy the food and supplies (with supplemental food from MANNA FoodBank), organize packing and then deliver bags to the schools where the administration slips the bags into backpacks for discretion. Each year, the group fills and packs about 6,000 backpacks — the equivalence of about $22,000.
Each Empty Bowls ticket includes one, handcrafted bowl and a soup-based meal (a variety of soups, breads and desserts will be provided). Tickets are $25 per person or $50 for a family of two adults and children under 12 years old, and reservations are suggested. Tickets will be available beginning Tuesday, March 1, at St. John in the Wilderness parish house office, from backpack team members or at the door on the day of the event. Updated COVID-19 restrictions will be in place.
St. John in the Wilderness is located at 1905 Greenville Highway in Flat Rock. For more information, call 828-693-9783 or visit stjohnflatrock.org.
