Non-profit Renews Fight Against Hunger This Sunday With Empty Bowls
Since co-founding the organization five years ago that is now called (914) Cares, Jessica Reinmann has been driven by a passion to help others in need in Westchester.
Whether it be the thousands of hungry families or the moms that have to choose between paying rent or buying diapers and adequate clothes for their children, Reinmann finds her volunteer work for the North White Plains-based (914) Cares has plenty of rewards.
“I often get the question: You work so hard and you don’t get anything,” Reinmann said. “I always say my work is selfish. I really feel so passionate about the fact that everyone deserves a chance and that Westchester really has a horrible cycle of poverty because it’s so expensive to live here.”
This Sunday, the organization will hold what is perhaps its signature event – the fifth annual Empty Bowls Westchester to be held at the Whippoorwill Club in Armonk from 5 to 8 p.m.
The event raises money for area food pantries. With the addition of Hope Community Services of New Rochelle this year, there are now seven organizations that will share in this year’s proceeds.
Last year, organizers added Bread of Life Hope for the Hungry Food Pantry in Rye. The original list of beneficiaries that are still being helped are the Interfaith Emergency Food Pantry of Pleasantville; the Community Center of Northern Westchester in Katonah; Hillside Food Outreach; the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester; and the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry.
During the first four years, Empty Bowls Westchester raised about $420,000 to help these organizations, Reinmann said.
She said Empty Bowls is an international grassroots campaign where people in a community paint bowls and attend an event where a very simple meal – such as a bowl of soup – is served and each participant goes home with one of the painted bowls.
“It’s supposed to remind them that for the rest of the year that there are these people in their communities who have empty bowls,” Reinmann explained.
A key component of the fundraiser are the celebrity bowls, which are sold through a silent auction. This year Carrie Underwood, Peter Frampton, James Taylor, Bill and Hilary Clinton, Rachel Platten, Lin Manuel Miranda, Billy Joel, Paul Schaeffer, Rob Thomas and James Patterson are among the celebrities whose bowls will be available. Taylor has also agreed to have a signed guitar auctioned off.
One of the event sponsors, Whole Foods, has pledged 5 percent of all sales from Oct. 17 at the four Whole Foods locations in Westchester to be donated to the seven organizations.
Reinmann said another part of the effort that is gratifying is educating the many Westchester residents who may be largely unaware of so many needy residents so close to their homes.
“I spend a lot of time educating our wealthy population about the poverty that exists right next door,” she said. “I think it’s very easy in communities like Chappaqua and Armonk and Briarcliff and going all the way down county to Scarsdale and Harrison, it’s very easy to stay in your bubble.”
For anyone interested in attending Sunday’s event, tickets are $175 each. To learn more about Empty Bowls, to purchase tickets or to make a donation, visit www.914cares.org/empty-bowls. You can also follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/emptybowlswestchester.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/