500 Gourmet Meals Feed Homeless After VA Beach Gala Canceled

When winter weather forced the Hampton Roads Cancer Care Foundation to postpone their Saturday night gala, 500 chicken and short rib dinners were already plated and ready to serve. Instead of tossing the gourmet food, organizers spent Monday delivering every meal to people experiencing homelessness across Norfolk.

The Waves of Hope Gala was set to take place at The Dome in Virginia Beach this past weekend. But the snowstorm that blanketed Hampton Roads made the event impossible, leaving organizers with a difficult decision about hundreds of fully prepared dinners meant for sponsors and guests.

Executive Director Audra Dementa said the team refused to let the food go to waste. "We were so disappointed, but we thought we could do something positive," she explained.

The foundation partnered with PIN Ministries and local shelters to distribute the meals throughout Norfolk. Each person received a restaurant-quality dinner that would have cost significantly more than typical shelter food.

The Bright Side

Dallas Stamper, CEO of PIN Ministries, said the unexpected donation brought joy to people who rarely experience fine dining. "They're not getting beef short ribs all the time," he noted. "They'll get an extra special meal that was going to be for sponsors, so that's a blessing, too."

The foundation, which supports cancer patients across Hampton Roads, found a way to extend their mission of caring for vulnerable community members. What started as a fundraising event to help people battling cancer became an immediate act of service to people facing food insecurity.

The timing couldn't have been better. Winter storms often strain shelter resources as more people seek indoor refuge from dangerous cold. These hearty, warming meals arrived exactly when they were needed most.

The foundation plans to announce a rescheduled date for the Waves of Hope Gala within the next week, giving the community another chance to support cancer care while celebrating an organization that knows how to find light in difficult moments.