Are you curious about how the virtual Hunger Banquet will work? We put together a list of frequently asked questions just for you!
What is the Hunger Banquet?
CommUnity’s Hunger Banquet is designed to immerse participants in the reality of food insecurity. Whether in-person or online, attendees interact with the program by participating in a poverty simulation that sheds light on local hunger. We randomly assign each participant to a representative income level in Johnson County. Will you fall within the wealthiest population or within the estimated 15% of individuals who go to bed hungry each night?
What is different about the Hunger Banquet this year?
The virtual event will be an interactive and educational program you can participate in from the comfort of your home or with friends at a viewing party. Instead of a banquet dinner service like the in-person event, we will be sending each registered participant a virtual gift card worth up to $50 unless you represent the 15% of Johnson County experiencing food insecurity.
What happens if I represent the 15%?
While you won’t receive a gift card, we hope the experience will allow you to reflect on what it might actually be like to go to bed hungry. Thanks to the generous support of our donors and attendees, those of our neighbors facing food insecurity can depend on CommUnity’s Food Bank to provide them with groceries and basic supplies.
How do I register?
You can visit builtbycommunity.org/hungerbanquet2021 and scroll down to the “Register Now” button. The cost to register is $50 per participant. Registering gains you access to the event at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, June 11, plus enters you for a chance to win a virtual gift card worth up to $50. Most importantly, your registration fee of $50 provides the Food Bank the resources to purchase 250 pounds of food.
I’m Zoom’ed out. Why is this event worth attending?
Let’s face it, we’re all experiencing Zoom fatigue, but just think about all the good you can do for our community by attending the Hunger Banquet!
Attending the Hunger Banquet is impactful. The Hunger Banquet is CommUnity’s largest fundraiser for the Food Bank. Each dollar raised through registration and donations for the Hunger Banquet goes directly toward stocking the shelves of the Food Bank for 6 months.
Attending the Hunger Banquet is fun and educational. We’ve put together an all-star lineup of CommUnity clients and supporters to deliver an engaging program that sheds light on food insecurity in our community. Also, attendees can host a viewing party with registered friends! Don’t worry, even if your whole party is viewing on one device, every registered participant will be entered into the gift card system.
Who benefits from the Hunger Banquet?
First, the families who rely on CommUnity’s Food Bank as their weekly source of food. Each year, the Hunger Banquet raises the financial resources to stock the Food Bank for nearly half the year.
Second, our sponsors! Sponsoring a CommUnity event is a win-win! They help cover the costs of the event which means your registration fee and contributions goes directly toward stocking the shelves of the Food Bank.
And finally, YOU! We believe the Hunger Banquet provides a unique educational experience that gives you the ability to advocate for those facing food insecurity in our community.
How do the gift cards work?
Each attendee will be randomly assigned to a financial demographic based on real income levels in Johnson County. The assigned income levels will determine the value of the virtual gift card you will receive. 15% of attendees will represent our neighbors facing food insecurity and will receive no gift card at all. Gift cards will be emailed to attendees just before the Hunger Banquet program and can be used to purchase a meal from a restaurant or delivery service of your choice. The gift cards will expire on June 26, so if you would like to donate the funds back to CommUnity, simply do not use the gift card.
Do you have a question that we didn’t answer? Email us at julia.winter@builtbycommunity.org
Ready to register? Visit builtbycommunity.org/hungerbanquet2021
