For the last 18 years, Fayetteville Area Operation Inasmuch has been able to share their mission with the community by gathering together for a yummy lunch. This year was no different with the 18th annual Bread ‘N Bowls event taking place at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville on Thursday, March 20. 

From 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., supporters of the humanitarian organization came to eat lunch, purchase bowls and help raise funds. 

This year thanks to community support, the event was able to generate $45,000 for Inasmuch. In a follow up email sent to guests, Executive Director and Pastor Craig Morrison thanked the community for their continued support. 

“We sincerely appreciate your generous sponsorship of our 18th annual Bread 'N Bowls. Your presence truly made the day special, and we are grateful for your support of this ministry,” shared Morrison in the email. “Inasmuch has grown from just serving breakfast to offering life-changing opportunities that help men rebuild their lives. These transformative programs come at a cost, and it’s the steadfast support of our community that makes them possible.” 

Since the event began in 2008, it has served as the only public fundraiser for Inasmuch, with the nonprofit relying on private donors to fund their initiatives throughout the rest of the year. Organization Founder, previous Executive Director and volunteer Sue Byrd who began the event shared that she got the inspiration from a friend who had experienced a similar event in Kentucky.

“I have a friend who moved to Kentucky, and I said, ‘Kim, I need a fundraiser.’ And they had said, ‘Don't do golf tournaments.’ And she said, ‘We do something in Kentucky called Empty Bowls.’ So I started looking into that, and that's where Bread ‘N Bowls came from,” shared Byrd. But to her and the rest of the staff and volunteers at Inasmuch, the bowls mean more. “These bowls symbolize who we are, that bread bowl and that pottery bowl. We're not some fancy organization that does fancy things, we do the simple things of life.” 

Operation Inasmuch has been working to help the Fayetteville community since 2007, providing stable meals and a variety of human, health and educational services focusing on the needs of the homeless community. Along with daily breakfasts, Inasmuch runs their Able-Life Program in their 40-bed men’s facility known as The Lodge. This program focuses on establishing mental and physical security, working to improve the health of their residents and put them on the path to learning life and vocational skills and ultimately a stable income. 

Since getting started, Inasmuch has served over 300,000 breakfasts, provided case management for those in need and maintained basic humanitarian services for the homeless community such as their weekly Sick Call medical clinic for their residents. 

Now, the operation is expecting to continue to grow with the addition of a new Inasmuch food trailer, which will allow residents of their Able-Life Program to learn food industry vocational skills and the Inasmuch Village housing program coming soon to the area surrounding the current Inasmuch headquarters building located at 531 Hillsboro St. in Fayetteville. 

The Inasmuch Food Truck began with the organization purchasing a food trailer from neighboring organization Miller’s Brew Coffee Shop. 

“With a generous grant from the Cannon Foundation, we were able to acquire that beautiful food trailer, and we’re in the process of getting it re-wrapped right now. So it’s going to be Inasmuch on the go. We're going to be able to take that food trailer and it’s going to have two purposes. One, we’ll be able to set it up in various places around the city and provide ministry,” shared Morrison. “Number two is in the afternoons at your business, school or wherever, we're going to be able to set up the food truck, and the guys from The Lodge are going to work in the food truck. We’re going to be providing hands-on vocational training.” 

The larger development comes in the form of the Inasmuch Village, a 16 cottage housing community that will go towards supporting housing for women, children, the disabled, elderly and Veteran residents. 

Morrison shared that this project was made possible through a generous $2 million donation from Linda and Ralph Huff. 

“In 2023 the Lord put it on my heart to start prayer walking the neighborhood. We started prayer walking all four blocks around Inasmuch. Seven months go by and we get to the place and we’re like, ‘Lord, there’s a drug house right beside The Lodge.’ We need your help, where we’re crying out to the Lord. And on month number seven, just like walking around Jericho, the Lord starts breaking down the walls,” shared Morrison. “ One month later, I get a call from Mary Holmes from the Cumberland Community Foundation and she says ‘Hey Craig, I’ve got this donor [Ralph Huff] that I think you need to meet.’ I met with this donor. He comes in with plans in his hands, and he's like, ‘The Lord has put it on my heart to build houses for women and children and Veterans and disabled and elderly.’ We've been acquiring the property beside the lodge and the very first property we acquired was that drug house.”

Plans are in motion to begin work on the Inasmuch Village with the goal or have it open in 2026. 

While Bread ‘N Bowls is over, there is still the opportunity for the community to donate through Inasmuch’s new Annual Sponsor and Sustainer’s Club programs, a special giving circle for those who commit to monthly donations, of any amount, for 12 consecutive months.

Learn more about Inasmuch and how you can donate, volunteer and more on their website: www.faoiam.org.