Empty Bowls

Empty Bowls will be held Thursday June 16 at Lincoln Hills Country Club from 6-8pm. We look forward to an evening of appetizers and drinks as the Lakeshore Food Club staff and board members share the powerful story of our work in our community. Each attendee will take home a handcrafted bowl as a tangible reminder of those in our community who experience food insecurity.

That 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.