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Empty Bowls to fill Milford food pantry

MILFORD – You don’t see them holding out their bowls like Oliver Twist asking for more, but they are hungry.

Children in every town around here live in families that have trouble finding enough money to buy food. In the summer it’s worse, because they are not getting free and reduced priced school lunches.

That’s why Share Outreach is working now to make sure there are sufficient supplies of bread, peanut butter, pasta and fruits and vegetables and all the other supplies families need.

On Sunday, April 19 Share will hold an Empty Bowl supper, from 4-7 p.m. in the newly refurbished Share Community Hall.

Different kinds of soups and bread and beverages will be served by Share board members and staff, and everyone can leave with their bowl.

The event was inspired by Mont Vernon Village School art teacher Katrina Reid. Last year her students made pottery bowls they sold at the town Spring Gala and then they gave the money to Share.

This year they are doing it again, this time for the Empty Bowl event and are joined by art students in Souhegan High School and Amherst Middle School.

How many local children are eligible for free and reduced price lunches?

According to statistics from the New Hampshire Department of Education, there are 30 eligible boys and girls in Amherst’s Clark-Wilkins, the elementary schools.

In all of Milford’s schools there are 503, or more than one in 5 who get help paying for lunches. In Mont Vernon Village School there are 29.

Parents of those children “will need to provide at least lunch (and in some cases breakfast) for them during the summer,” said Share Director Chris Janson in an email. “While our schools do not have the numbers that you see is Nashua or Manchester, any number is too big! Even Amherst (K-8) has 90 kids, That’s a lot to feed for the summer.”

For the third summer, Share will be part of a summer food drop from the New Hampshire Food Bank sponsored by Stop N Shop.

Share drops off pre-packed boxes to the Souhegan Valley Boys and Girls Club to make sure kids who are part of their summer program can take advantage of it — regardless of whether or not they are Share clients.

Each box will have items like peanut butter, jelly, canned tuna and chicken, canned soups, vegetables, pasta and sauce and other items including breakfast items.

Tickets for Empty Bowls will be available at the door for $20 per person or $50 per family. All proceeds help Share stock its food pantry.

Kathy Cleveland can be reached at 673-3100, ext. 304, or kcleveland@
cabinet.com.