Square One Community Inc. hosted a fundraising campaign to help develop a Warming Centre and Women’s Emergency Shelter in Moose Jaw. The “Empty Bowls Event” was held in the Timothy Eaton Social Hall on Saturday, Nov. 19th.
“I am so grateful for the Square One board and volunteers,” said Della Ferguson, Grief Support worker at W.J. Jones & Son Funeral Home and Chairperson of the Square One Community Board. “I am grateful for all the front-line people who are there working with a heart to fulfill the needs right now.”
Ferguson says the Empty Bowls event’s original idea was born several years ago in the states when some crafts people got together with some soup makers to highlight homelessness. Today, such events take place worldwide.
Therefore, Moose Jaw’s Empty Bowls event was not much different, in that the community wanted to help so the Square One Community reached out to different restaurants for support. “We have got six different soup providers from our community, which is fantastically generous,” said Ferguson.
The restaurants included: Gordon Food Service, Canadian Brewhouse, Evolve, Grant Hall Hotel, The Mad Greek, Kinsmen Café and Families For Change Inc.
At 11 a.m. representatives from the restaurants brought in the soups and immediately people started to pour in. The YMCA and Salvation Army donated the bowls, and everyone grabbed a bowl and enjoyed hot delicious soup, loaves of bread and dessert. Coffee was also available, as well as vendors selling Christmas gift cards, artworks, ornaments and decorations.
All the funds and donations will go to help to develop the Warming Centre and Women’s Emergency Shelter.
The sponsors of the event included SGI Canada and SaskEnergy, along with the Co-op, Real Canadian Superstore, Thunder Creek, YMCA and Moose Jaw & District Seniors Association Inc.
