ST. BONAVENTURE — For 50 years, St. Bonaventure University’s student-run Warming House has been addressing the food insecurity crisis in the Olean area.
In recognition of the golden anniversary of the Olean soup kitchen, the university is striving to ensure the Warming House is around for at least another 50 years.
To kick off Francis Week this fall, the university is hosting an Empty Bowls & Baskets dinner, an event dedicated to raising awareness about food insecurity.
The dinner, to be held Thursday, Sept. 26, at the Richter Center on campus, will celebrate the Warming House’s milestone anniversary and support the newly established Endowment for Warming House Sustainability.
More than $270,000 has already been raised for the endowment, which has a goal of $1 million. The annual earned income from the endowment will be used to sustain operations at an establishment that has seen a meteoric rise in meal service since the pandemic.
Sparked by rising food costs and the addition of takeout service at the Warming House during Covid — a vital service that continues today — more than 23,000 meals were served in 2023, an increase of more than 300% in just five years.
“For the Warming House to survive for the next 50 years, we need far more financial stability so we’re never put in the position of having to turn any guest away,” said Alice Miller Nation, director of University Ministries. “We want to continue to give our students real-world skills in management and leadership, while allowing them at the same time to live out our Franciscan mission to feel a true sense of solidarity with those they serve.”
The Warming House’s annual budget is approximately $150,000, but the funding stream is uncertain from year to year. Grants expire and donations fluctuate, making balancing the books a matter of “thoughtful and intentional budgeting and spending,” Miller Nation said.
Betsy Gingerich, wife of university President Jeff Gingerich, is chair of the planning committee for the dinner.
“From the moment I entered the Warming House, I knew the work of St. Francis was here,” Gingerich said. “To see the student volunteers in action — cooking, baking and cleaning, demonstrating compassion for the people seeking a hot meal that day — was overwhelming and beautiful.”
Gingerich began to volunteer regularly at the Warming House after her first visit.
“While I’ve always been aware of the sad reality of hunger and homelessness in this country, I have now learned so much about the hidden realities of food insecurity that exist in rural and small-town areas like Olean,” she said. “This endowment will help ensure that the Warming House continues to serve the community for many years.”
The dinner is the culmination of a year-long series of events to celebrate the 50th anniversary. Each guest will receive a unique, handcrafted bowl or basket as a reminder that “while we have food tonight, many in our community do not have daily access to food,” Miller Nation said.
To register for the dinner or donate to the endowment, click here. Tickets for the dinner are $75, or $65 for young SBU alumni (Class of 2015 and after). Donors unable to attend can also sponsor a student to attend for $25.
To learn more about the history of the Warming House, click here.
