An annual dinner, auction and community event that raises funds for a year-round free meal kitchen in Morgan County is returning again this month.
The Empty Bowls fundraiser will be held on Friday, September 18 from 5-7 p.m. the American Legion Post 60 in Berkeley Springs. 
Attendees receive an artist’s bowl and a light dinner of soup, drink and roll for their entry donation.
Dinner is a selection of soups made and donated by local restaurants who support the Morgan County Starting Points Mealtime Kitchen effort.
Soups will be made and donated by Betty Lou’s Garage Café, Charlotte’s Cafe, Country Inn, Creekside Provisions + Supplies, Proof on Washington, Ravenwood and Tony’s Butcher Block. Dinner will be served by volunteers from the Berkeley Springs High School chapter of the Future Farmers of America (FFA).
During the evening event, attendees can bid on donated gifts, trips, furniture, artwork and themed baskets during a silent auction.
Select donations will be sold at a live auction portion of the event, including highly-anticipated baked good creations.
Folks can also enter 50/50 drawings and will be entered to win door prizes with their admission donation.
Empty Bowls is the main fundraising event for Starting Points Mealtime Kitchen program, which serves free hot meals three evenings per week at the Senior Life Services building north of Berkeley Springs. Local volunteers and Starting Points staff prepare and deliver the meals in a drive-through format on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 106 Sand Mine Road.
During 2025, the Meal Time Community Kitchen served 21,356 hot, freshly-made meals to community members. On average, staff and volunteers provide 100 meals at every Meal Time, three days per week. In 2025, that number added up to 410 meals per week.
Food for the meals comes through a variety of sources – delivered food from Mountaineer Food Bank, donations from local farms and food producers, and purchased ingredients.
The idea behind the kitchen is simple – to meet the basic needs of individuals and families on their journey to building self-sufficiency and strong futures. There is no application process to get meals and they are available to all.
Starting Points is in its 27th year of serving Morgan County families, providing material support for babies and young children, offering safe family activities to connect caregivers and children, offering classes on a variety of family topics from Healthy Grandfamilies to Cheap Eats and more. Starting Points operates two offices – the main location is located within the Berkeley Springs Senior Center building and the other is in downtown Paw Paw.
Starting Points can be reached by calling 304-258-5600 or emailing amorris@starting-points.org.
Donations to the Meal Time Kitchen or other Starting Points programs can be made by mail to 106 Sand Mine Road, Suite 6, Berkeley Springs, W.Va. 25411 or online through https://www.starting-points.org under the “Ways to Support” tab.
