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The ninth annual Empty Bowls fundraiser hosted by ALIVE! raised more than $80,000 Saturday to support Alexandria residents facing food insecurity and housing instability, the nonprofit announced this week.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins addressed attendees at the event, held at Beth El Hebrew Congregation on Seminary Road. City Councilmember Canek Aguirre and Del. Kirk McPike were also in attendance.
"For decades, ALIVE! has been a lifeline for families facing food insecurity across Alexandria," Gaskins wrote on X. "The Empty Bowls fundraiser brings our community together to fight hunger and to ensure no neighbor goes without."
For decades, ALIVE! has been a lifeline for families facing food insecurity across Alexandria. The Empty Bowls fundraiser brings our community together to fight hunger and to ensure no neighbor goes without. pic.twitter.com/ATZYsw18Yh
— Alyia Gaskins (@Alyia4ALX) March 2, 2026
Aguirre, who won a board games basket in the silent auction, called Empty Bowls one of his favorite events of the year.
Empty Bowls is one of my favorite events of the year as Alexandrians come together to support @ALIVE4AlexVA's work to help our neighbors facing food and housing insecurity. This year I even won an awesome basket of board games! Who's up for game night?#AlexandriaVA #Community pic.twitter.com/nlJ2V8vEGb
— Canek Aguirre (@CanekForCouncil) March 1, 2026
"Alexandrians come together to support ALIVE!'s work to help our neighbors facing food and housing insecurity," he wrote on X.
More than two dozen Alexandria-area restaurants provided food for the casual evening gathering, which ran from 7 to 9 p.m. In addition to the dining experience, guests bid on silent auction baskets, took part in a 50/50 raffle and took home handmade artisan bowls.
Donna Anderson, Mike Anderson and Bill Blackburn of Homegrown Restaurant Group and Scott Shaw of Alexandria Restaurant Partners served as the event's restaurant community honorary co-chairs.
Jennifer Ayers, executive director of ALIVE!, said the funds raised will have a direct impact across the city's network of food distribution programs. According to the organization, the $80,000 is enough to feed 600 families for a month through ALIVE!'s two Community Food Hubs and 17 pantry partners, support two months of Community Fresh Markets serving roughly 1,200 families and fuel the nonprofit's delivery trucks for an entire year.
"What matters most is what happens after the event: neighbors receive groceries, families remain housed, and children sleep in safe beds," Ayers said in a letter to supporters.
ALIVE! operates a network of Community Food Hubs, fresh markets and pantry partnerships across Alexandria to provide groceries and essentials to families, seniors and individuals in need.
Participating restaurants included Beeliner Diner, Bread & Water Company, Cameron Cafe, Chadwicks, Daniel O'Connell's, Del Ray Café, Del Ray Pizzeria, Effingham Winery, Great Harvest Bread Co., Hank's Pasta Bar, Jet's Pizza, Joe Theismann's Restaurant & Bar, La'Baik, Lena's Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap, Matt & Tony's, MB Bakery on the Go!, Mia's Italian Kitchen, Pork Barrel BBQ, Spice Kraft, Sweet Fire Donna's, Taqueria Picoso, Taqueria Poblano, Taverna Cretekou, The Dairy Godmother, UnWined and Vola's Dockside Grill.
For more information on ALIVE!, visit https://www.alive-inc.org/.
