The Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana has been feeding the hungry in our community since 1997. At that time, they were located in the back of what is now the Children's Museum, and with two part-time employees and a volunteer director, 223,000 pounds of food were distributed to 25 member agencies in Northeast Louisiana.
Today, they are located in a 32,928 square-foot warehouse and they distribute more than 6.5 million pounds of food through 60 partner agencies and children and senior programs. Twelve full-time staff and hundreds of volunteers are significantly impacting 12 parishes to ensure no one in Northeast Louisiana goes hungry.
There are so many impressive statistics we could share, but when you personally know someone that would have gone to bed hungry if not for the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana, reality hits you. There are so many people that are only one step away from having to choose between paying a bill or food, taking their medicine or food.
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I know a person that lived from month to month on a very tight budget. They were happy, worked hard, had friends, and loved to watch sports. One month they had a significant increase in their monthly utility bill. It was discovered that the bathtub had a hot water leak that was causing the hot water tank to run constantly.
They could not pay the bill and buy food so the hard decision was made, pay the bill. The Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana provided an emergency food box and we discovered they were also eligible to apply for SNAP Benefits (Supplemental Food Assistance Program).
Get involved! This is a great place for the family to volunteer! They accept volunteers 12 and up, 12 - 16-year-olds must be accompanied by an adult. Sign-up today!
You can always donate money to help them achieve their mission or another way to support them, create some one-of-a-kind art!
Empty Bowls 2023 Poster Contest
Entry Guidelines:
- The contest is open to artists of any age – students through adults – Must be residents of the United States.
- Entries must contain original artwork.
- The artwork needs to be created in a square design, in the following size: 11” x 11″.
- All entries should include the following text: “Empty Bowls”. A graphic artist will later overlay the date, time, and location information.
- Participants should submit their unique interpretation of Empty Bowls – A Serving of Food, Art and Music. Artwork can be an original painting, drawing, photo, computer-generated illustration, or screen print.
Prizes:
- First Place: $100
- Each Artist Entry: $15 ticket to Empty Bowls event
(*ticket for event only, does not include bowl*)
Submission Deadline: February 28, 2023
Entry Submission:
- Entries can be submitted electronically (preferred) to shoffman@fbnela.org or original artwork can be dropped off at the Food Bank offices (4600 Central Avenue, Monroe, LA 71203).
- Resolution / File Format – Artwork should be a minimum of 300DPI and in JPG.TIFF. or PDF. format.
- Include the full name of the artist, email address, phone number, and school/organization (if applicable)
Questions? Call Sarah at 318-322-3567
About Empty Bowls
Empty Bowls is a unique fundraising event where artists come together to craft and donate hundreds of bowls to be sold as part of this special event. This family-friendly lunch event supports the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana’s fight against hunger in our community. The goal is to raise awareness of hunger while also raising critical funds to provide food assistance to those struggling with hunger locally.
With the price of an event ticket, guests can choose a beautiful bowl to take home as a reminder of all of the empty bowls in our community. A tasting of signature dishes from multiple local restaurants will be served, accompanied by music, activities, and a silent auction. Ticket sales support the fight against hunger through the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana.
For tickets or more information, visit www.EmptyBowlsNELA.com
We hope you will learn more about this incredible nonprofit organization and support its mission. Make sure to get the kids involved too. There is no lesson greater than teaching our children to help others.
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