Chef Instructor, Stephen Hertz ,CEC, and five first-year Culinary Arts students helped to serve soup for companies that could not attend and serve themselves at MANNA FoodBank’s 18th annual Empty Bowls. The event on September 24 at the DoubleTree had a lunch and dinner options this year. A-B Tech students served 500 people that evening.
“The crowd and MANNA were very excited to see us there supporting the cause,” Hertz said. “This is one of MANNAs biggest fundraising events of the year. We are also exploring other ways that both ACF (American Culinary Federation) and the program can assist with future programs. They will be attending our ACF chapter meeting at the college where we will present to the chapter our experience at the empty bowls as well as how we are planning on getting chapter members more involved with their program to build our new partnership.”
Empty Bowls is a fundraising event that celebrates community, art, and collaboration, while bringing awareness to the very real problem of hunger in Western North Carolina. Guests select a bowl hand-made by local artisans and enjoy a seasonal meal of delicious soups, breads, desserts, and coffee. To complement the experience, local musicians provide live music. The souvenir bowl guests take home reminds them of the many WNC families that are currently struggling with hunger.
"I was so delighted to see our students volunteering their time to this event,” said Cathryn J. Strohm-Horton, Chair of Hospitality Management and Culinary. “Between work, family and job commitments, their schedules are grueling. And yet they took time to give back to those in need. Additionally, Chef Hertz has made it a priority to connect us with MANNA and other non-profits dedicated to address hunger and food insecurity in our area. I'm so proud of all of them."
