More than 200 handcrafted bowls, made over months by volunteers at the YMCA's pottery s...

More than 200 handcrafted bowls, made over months by volunteers at the YMCA's pottery studio, were used for a single fundraising event aimed at addressing food insecurity in the New River Valley.

Laureen Blakemore, director of community engagement for the YMCA at Virginia Tech, said the issue is often overlooked given the area's affluence, noting that the food insecurity rate in Montgomery County sits at 15.3%, higher than the state average, amounting to roughly 15,000 people without consistent access to the food they need. She said the YMCA is probably touching about 500 people a week with meals and food assistance through programs including meal deliveries for seniors, a weekly food pantry in Radford, a drop-in market in Blacksburg and a mobile food truck that brings meals directly into lower-income neighborhoods.

Five local restaurants donated soup for the event, including Next Door Bake Shop. Tickets ranged from $10 to $50, with organizers hoping to raise around $2,000, and organizers reported tickets were nearly sold out. Blakemore said even a modest fundraising total makes a difference, describing it as a drop in the ocean that helps deliver more meals and keep more food available for people to choose from.

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Source note: Star News TV · Oct 14, 2026 1:05 AM.