Willow Creek Falls and Vineyard

Feed Fannin held its largest fundraiser of the year, Bowls of Hope, on Saturday March 19 at Willow Creek Falls and Vineyards.

Bill Fleming and Jacquelyn Howard

Bill Fleming and his wife Jacquelyn Howard support Feed Fannin because, as Mr. Fleming states, “What are the two most important things in life – food and people.  No organization embodies this than Feed Fannin.  Every community needs a Feed Fannin.”

Indeed Feed Fannin’s contribution to the community is more than the 6,000 tons of produce it grew and donated to families in 2015.  Feed Fannin helped build the community gardens at each of the three Fannin County Elementary Schools.  It also holds community classes on productivity and canning.  Feed Fannin volunteers also staff the food bank.  The garden space develops community too.  Feed Fannin offers garden bed rental for $10 a season.  In the garden, people can keep each other company by celebrating the pride of growing your own food even while doing the relentless task of pulling up weed shoots before they crowd out the vegetables.

Feed Fannin volunteers John Autry, Jim Yacavone and Jim Stewart

The gift is mutual.  Feed Fannin has tremendous support throughout the area in all sorts of ways.  Feed Fannin needed some earth moved for the garden, a company donated its time.  Feed Fannin needed soups, breads and dessert for Bowls of Hope and Fannin restaurants and stores provided and volunteered at the tables.

North Georgia’s answer to Eric Clapton, Jim Richter provided music.

Feed Fannin needed bowls for the Bowls of Hope and 15 artists created over 500 bowls for the event.  Some potters like Cooper Creek Pottery, John Archer and Mountain Oak Pottery have been contributing bowls over the last few year.  They and potters from Turning Point Clay Studios, Foxglove Pottery and John Campbell Folk School, all from Cherokee County North Carolina donated the bulk of the bowls.  500 bowls at an average price of $20 to $25 a piece represent $11,250.

According to Jim Stewart, the Fannin community contributed over 18,000 at Bowls of Hope last year which is a tremendous amount of money for a community this size.