Overflow the Opera House Fundraiser

Overflow the Opera House, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. Photo provided

BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – It will be food instead of films when the Bellows Falls Opera House becomes the stage for the annual Overflow the Opera House food drive to benefit the Our Place Drop-in Center on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.

Beginning at 8 a.m. and continuing to 4 p.m., board members and other volunteers will be on hand to accept donations of food and funds to stock the food pantry at Our Place.

Employees of Chroma Technology and Sonnax are also playing a role in making the drive a big hit by holding in-house drives and providing onsite help. KOOL-FM radio will be broadcasting live to encourage listeners to support the effort.

New this year is an online website that allows anyone to “buy” a seat at the Opera House with a $25 donation.

“We’re hoping to fill all of the over 500 seats in the theater with either a bag of groceries or a $25 donation,” said Our Place executive director David Billings. “That $25 represents a food box for a family.”

Donations can be made at www.bellowsfallsoperahouse.com/special-events/ anytime or by stopping by the Opera house during the drive.

Billings said monetary donations are more important than ever because so many of the people Our Place helps are the employed poor, who are facing increases in the cost of housing, transportation, and food, and don’t qualify for other assistance programs.

“We have better leverage with our food dollars than the average shopper,” he said, “so donating money stretches the dollars even further. That’s very important in Vermont,” he continued, “because food costs here are 25% more than the national average.”

Information about Our Place and the drive can be found at www.ourplacevermont.org, on Facebook or by contacting Our Place at 802-463-2217.

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