The YWCA Great Falls ushered in the fall season with its annual Empty Bowls fundraiser on Saturday.
The YWCA has hosted the event, which serves soup and bread to the public to raise money primarily for the Mercy Home, for over 20 years.
The Mercy Home provides shelter and services for women and children in the surrounding area who are fleeing an abusive relationship.
“It helps to keep the Mercy Home doors open 365 days a year. It helps to provide the food that we need, the toiletries, the ability to transport the women to job interviews, doctor’s appointments,” YWCA board member Jennifer Fritz said. “It pays for gas in the van to do that. It just allows us to really provide those services to those women and children to help them live a better life.”
Fritz said the Mercy Home is a place for women and children to feel safe while also being empowered to live a better life.
Fundraising is important to the nonprofit. In addition to the Mercy Home, the YWCA has other programs and services available to the community such as free counseling, a domestic violence and sexual assault survivors support group, and classes and workshops for defense and speech craft among other things.
“We’ve have lots of programs and services that benefit from the fundraising,” Fritz said.
Food was not the only draw as local artists, including potters and woodturners, donated handcrafted bowls to give away and sell at the event.
“We have so many talented people in this community. There’s probably more than 20 artists that donated just this year alone,” Fritz said.
Grocery stores and bakeries in town also donated the food and supplies for the event.
The YWCA hosts the Salute to Women event in the spring, which is another large fundraiser for the organization.
Click here to visit YWCA Great Falls’ website for more information.
