Amid more need, Granite Falls food bank raises $15K with 'Empty Bowls'
GRANITE FALLS — The Granite Falls Community Coalition and Food Bank hosted its first ever fundraiser Saturday. Carol Panagos, president of the board of directors, estimated the Empty Bowls event raised around $15,000, with more money to be counted from a silent auction.
“My heart was just so happy,” Panagos said on Monday. “To see that kind of support for the food bank and our community just filled my heart with joy.”
The Granite Falls Food Bank has seen the demand in the community skyrocket since the pandemic, hiring its first paid staff in 2020.
In 2022, it distributed 310,000 pounds of food to 14,000 people in 4,860 households. Each of those numbers had increased by at least 32% from just the previous year. The estimated value of the food distributed increased by 139%, a reflection of inflation.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/amid-more-need-granite-falls-food-bank-raises-15k-with-empty-bowls/