From looking at the photo above, it’s hard to tell that one of these seats did not receive a meal at the 6th Annual Hunger Banquet last Thursday evening.
Like nearly 19,600 Johnson County residents facing food insecurity, roughly 13.5% of Hunger Banquet attendees were served an empty plate at CommUnity’s largest Food Bank fundraiser of the year. Thanks to the kindness of their tablemates, however, not a single plate in the room was left empty by the time the program was over.
It’s a longstanding tradition at the Hunger Banquet to share what you have with those who have nothing. And with a record number of new attendees in 2022, it’s clear that sharing is not just a Hunger Banquet tradition, but human nature.
It’s ingrained in us to help our neighbors because helping your neighbor means helping our community at large. As CommUnity’s CEO, Sarah Nelson, mentioned in her speech on Thursday night, “Strong, healthy, thriving communities take shape when everyone is doing well. When everyone has access to food, shelter, healthcare, mental health services and education. We are all interconnected, with the success of each individual having bearing on the other.”
The ultimate goal of the Hunger Banquet is for this photo to be reflected in our community. Just as no one at this table went hungry on Thursday evening, no one in our community should wonder whether or not they will be able to eat tonight. If there’s one lesson we hope Hunger Banquet attendees take away from this event, it’s to share with our tablemates. To share with our neighbors.
Thank you to everyone who attended and supported the 6th Annual Hunger Banquet!
To make a donation to the Food Bank, please click here. If you would like to join our eNewsletter list to stay up to date on opportunities to support our mission and receive notifications to sign up for the Hunger Banquet next year, click here.
