Empty Bowls awarded $10,500 each to Beverly’s Hearty Slice (BHS) and the Lourdes Backpack program on Thursday. Empty Bowls Chairperson Tina Taylor said the nonprofit exists to fight hunger and selected the two local organizations for their efforts in providing essential food services to the community.
Taylor emphasized that their mission centers around supporting nonprofits that solve food insecurity issues, a cause that began in 2005 and has grown steadily over the years.
The Empty Bowls annual event allows attendees to purchase tickets to choose a handmade bowl and enjoy a night of soup, silent auctions, and fundraising, with proceeds going to selected nonprofits. This year, Taylor noted, the committee’s choice of recipients was unanimous.
“These were our top two choices,” Taylor said, adding that both organizations made a strong impression with their commitment to helping children.
Travis Owsley, founder and executive director of BHS, expressed his gratitude for the award.
“It means the world. We have a lot of families that we try to impact throughout the year,” Owsley said.
He highlighted how funds from Empty Bowls will help the organization expand its holiday outreach and serve even more families. The nonprofit has a Thanksgiving event set for November 22 at the Owensboro Convention Center, where they plan to pass out more than 400 Thanksgiving meals.
Owsley created BHS in September 2020, dishing out pizza and other goodies in underserved areas. The name and mission pay homage to Owsley’s late mother, who always invited folks into her kitchen.
The Lourdes Backpack Program is a ministry of Our Lady of Lourdes Church that has been providing food bags for local students since 2018. Rosemary O’Brien leads the program and explained that each week during the school year, the organization packs 35 bags with meals and snacks for children to take home over the weekend.
“Without grants like this, it’s very difficult to continue year after year,” O’Brien said. “Even during COVID-19, when schools were closed, teachers helped deliver these bags directly to students’ homes, ensuring the program’s continuity.”
O’Brien expressed deep appreciation for Empty Bowls, describing it as a well-organized group dedicated to tackling food insecurity in the community.
“We’ve been familiar with them since 2019. Without the grants, we wouldn’t be able to keep going,” she said.
