ALIVE! Empty Bowls Dinner March 8 Raises Approximately $75,000

Anyone who knows my story knows that I was raised by a single mom and that despite how much my mom worked, there were many nights when there was just no food. I can tell you it’s not a great feeling to be the kid in school who’s trying her best to pay attention to a lesson but all she can think about and all she can hear is her tummy grumbling.

Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The annual ALIVE! Empty Bowls dinner fundraiser was a sellout.  In fact, the parking lot at Beth El Hebrew Congregation began filling up a good hour before Alexandria’s premier hunger-fighting organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year got underway. Guests milled about the lobby and long corridor March 8, sipping wine, checking out the silent auction, and snapping up tickets for the 50/50 raffle.

The synagogue’s social hall was decked out in long festooned tables, a dinner seat wedged into practically every inch of the cavernous space. ALIVE! Executive Director Jennifer Ayers explained that they moved from the Oswald Durant Center because interest in the fundraiser grew each year, and they needed a larger space. Beth El is one of fifty Alexandria faith communities that supports ALIVE!’s mission to alleviate food and housing insecurity.

One long table was laden with lasagna, pizza, salads, and other dinner delights, donated by area restaurants. Luscious desserts sat waiting at an adjacent table. Another table sported a variety of hot soups and hearty breads, the perfect antidote for a cold windy late winter evening.

The Empty Bowls Alexandria fundraiser is an annual dinner that raises funds and awareness of ALIVE!’s programs. Those projects provide essential groceries, transitional shelter, emergency financial assistance, and donations of furniture and housewares for Alexandrians in need. Saturday night was the largest Empty Bowls event in the organization’s history with over 200 in attendance.

The Zebra caught up with Jennifer Ayers, ALIVE! executive director, somewhere between greeting guests and delivering her remarks to the large audience.

Ayers said that her organization had already netted $68,000 in ticket sales and donations. She estimated that the additional take from the silent auction and raffle would raise that take to almost $75,000. Empty Bowls sold out every year that Ayers has held this top post, now in her fifth year.

“We have a big and growing need in our community right now and every little bit matters,” Ayers stressed. “It takes a village.”

Ayers lauded all the people who turned out for this signature event. She noted the city has an army of dedicated supporters that enable ALIVE! to feed 20,000 families each month.

“I see the same faces returning every year. I know that they care about us. I also see them throughout the year,” Ayers pointed out. “I see them out in the field helping other people. I see them volunteering at our food hubs. I see them carrying furniture into people’s homes. These aren’t just people who show up to events, they are people who give back regularly and they come to our events regularly. So I feel like I have our community with us, which is really important to the work we do because we serve everybody. That takes everybody.”

Ayers said that ALIVE! can put most of the money raised towards fighting hunger because the fundraiser does not cost the organization anything. The space, the food, the flowers, the wine, the decorations are all donated.

“Nearly all of the proceeds come back to us. That’s a rarity,” Ayers noted.

Before beginning the feast, Beth El Cantor Jason Kaufman led the assembled guests in the Hebrew blessing over food, the bracha. “What’s the wisdom in this?” he asked. “The wisdom is that we need partnership. We need partnership in order to provide sustenance. The partnership that this community brings is beautiful and we are thankful for the community coming together.”

Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins arrived in a floor-length yellow ball gown, perhaps a tad overdressed for this casual Saturday night crowd, some roaming the large synagogue social hall in sneakers.

“You may be wondering why I’m so dressed up,” Gaskins began in her keynote remarks. “The truth is, I committed to a black-tie gala about five months ago. But then we got an e-mail from Jennifer and I said to my aid, there has to be a way to make this one work. When Jenn calls, I answer.”

Growing serious, Gaskins recalled her childhood, raised by a single mother and going hungry. She talked about federal workers facing layoffs and how the needs of this community are growing. “I couldn’t miss this event tonight. This mission is deeply personal to me.” The mayor went on to say that the city could not serve families in need “without the partnership that we have built with ALIVE!”

In a conversation with the three honorary co-chairs, Zebra asked each one what propelled her to take on this demanding role. Mary Ann Burstein, president of West End Business Association (WEBA) said residents in her corner of the city are the most likely to confront hunger. “West End has more high-rise apartments, more immigrants, more people renting. So those are the people who would face food insecurity.”

For Lauren Fisher, “it’s a no brainer.” She is president of the Del Ray Business Association. “I feel like this organization is the heart of the city. Its mission is so genuine and authentic. I mean, what more could you ask of them?” Fisher exclaimed. “ALIVE! is feeding and supplying basic needs for the people who are most vulnerable in our city. It’s really easy for me to get on board.”

Morgan Babcock is executive director of The Carlye Council. While the area she oversees is 80 percent commercial, she feels connected to the entire city.

“We all love our areas, and we all support the city as a whole. But our hearts also go out to certain areas,” Babcock told Zebra. “We’re different from West End. But we all support one another. ALIVE! is our most valuable situation to feed all those in need. Our heart is in the community.”

Guests took home a commemorative ceramic bowl crafted by local artisans.

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