The ‘Bridge City Chili Cookoff’ Is Coming Up Jan 27 Texarkana
The Texarkana Homeless Coalition is going to be conducting the annual Point-In-Time homeless population count later this month, on Thursday, January 26th. Then, on January 27, TXKHC’s Bridge City Project Chili Cook-off will take place starting at 5 PM at 316 Hazel Street in Texarkana, AR, in front of the Salvation Army shelter.
Every year the Department of Housing and Urban Development requires all homeless coalitions to get as accurate a count of the number of homeless individuals in each community by the last week in January. The Point-In-Time count, or PIT count, offers a chance to understand our local homeless population and their current needs, and provides data to secure future funding for programs that combat homelessness.
The next day on January 27, the Texarkana Homeless Coalition along with its partners at Regions Bank will host the annual Bridge City Chili Cook-off in order to raise funds and discuss the plight of homelessness. The Cookoff is free to the public. TXKHC would love to see you dressed in your best 80's attire to go along with this year's event theme.
The chili team/individual entry fee is $25, chili cooks are asked to make enough chili for about 100 samples.
Judging will be for:
- Best Presentation
- People’s Choice
- Best in Texarkana
- Top Restaurant
In a release, the Chair of TXKHC, Vashil Fernandez said;
“Some of the deepest needs we have as human beings are to be heard, seen, and accepted. It is not often that the homeless and impoverished in our community get to experience the satisfaction of these most basic needs,” said Fernandez. “Bridge City Chili Cook-Off provides an opportunity for us as a twin city to cross the socioeconomic line and identify with the difficulty facing our neighbors for one night while raising money to provide for their needs at the same time.”
Regions Bank is donating one of its signature LifeGreen custom cruiser bicycles to be awarded through a prize drawing at the event.
The funds raised through Bridge City Chili Cook-Off and other projects sponsored by TXKHC fund scholarships for educational opportunities for those experiencing homelessness and provide training and technical assistance for local agencies.
For more information visit their Facebook event page.
To enter the cook-off visit eventbrite.com.
More about the Texarkana Homeless Coalition
TXKHC consists of many organizations and individuals working together to end homelessness in Texarkana and Bowie County. For more information, visit our website at txkhc.org or contact Vashil Fernandez at (903) 798-3904.