Blue Ridge Community College hosts 20th Annual Virginia Hunger Symposium to fight local food insecurity

WEYERS CAVE, Va. (WHSV) - Blue Ridge Community College is teaming up with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank this week to shed light on local food insecurity and help provide meals for families across the region.

The 20th Annual Virginia Hunger Symposium kicked off Monday with a full week of events aimed at educating students and community members while raising funds for hunger relief.

Activities throughout the week have included a documentary screening on hunger and food insecurity, a panel discussion, the grand opening of the BRCC Food Pantry, and the annual Empty Bowl Dinner held on Thursday. Organizers say the dinner is held each year to raise money and spread awareness for the cause.

BRCC President John Downey emphasized that hunger often affects neighbors people might not expect.

“I hope they realize that issues of hunger can happen to anyone, and that the vast majority of people who use the services of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and the food pantries that support it — most of them are working while they need the help of a food bank to make ends meet,” Downey said. “It’s really working families that need our help and support. Especially as we go into the holiday season with Thanksgiving, we want to make sure the community knows that Blue Ridge Community College cares about them.”

Downey added that the goal of the week is to demonstrate to both the broader community and BRCC students that resources are readily available if they are facing food insecurity.

According to organizers, every dollar donated during the symposium provides more than three meals, with all proceeds directly benefiting the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

The symposium will conclude this weekend with live entertainment from Shenandoah Cabaret, titled “Heart and Music.” For the fourth consecutive year, the group will take the stage on Friday and Saturday, performing a mix of classic and contemporary musical theater.

“We’re just so excited to be asked back four years in a row,” said Music Director Jennifer Kirkland. “We love performing here. We love being a part of this cause, and we love performing together. We’re just thrilled that our family of supporters has been growing because they love to come to this event every year as well.”

Both performances will feature 21 new songs, with 100% of ticket sales benefiting the food bank.

Diana Black, Shenandoah Cabaret co-founder and dramaturg, noted that the group’s diverse repertoire helps draw a wide audience for an important mission.

“Even though we do specialize in musical theater — and I’m not just talking about old-school musical theater, I also mean stuff that’s very new and that you may have not yet heard before — we also like to dabble in things like jazz, pop, and folk,” Black said. “We really mix it up, and varieties are the name of the game.”

Performances take place at 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday at the Fine Arts Center Theatre. Tickets are $25, and additional information about the concert and ticket sales is available online.