About the Ladies Only Luncheon

The Ladies Only Luncheon has become an Erie tradition that supports services for children at the Barber National Institute. This event is held the Saturday before Thanksgiving to help launch the holiday season with socializing, a festive lunch and the chance to take home a bountiful gift basket or other prizes.  This is a special occasion where you can get dressed up and enjoy the day in style!

Contact Us Ladies Only Luncheon Highlights

Proceeds from the 2024 Ladies Only Luncheon will help establish a fully accessible kitchen with practical adaptations designed to meet our secondary students' needs. This modern kitchen will be equipped with wheelchair accessible countertops, a spacious floor plan, and a wealth of meal preparation equipment perfectly designed to help students gain hands-on experience preparing nutritious foods.  

Here, students are not just taught how to cook, but are equipped with practical tools that serve as steppingstones towards self-sufficiency. 

The kitchen is a classroom without borders. It is where students will be able to benefit from social interaction, learn about the importance of safety and cleanliness in the kitchen, and put into practice smart food selection as part of a healthy diet. These life skills, essential for personal development, will be incorporated into the fabric of each lesson. 

As students stir sauces and chop vegetables, they are also preparing for a future beyond the school’s walls. The kitchen serves as a foundation to job opportunities, offering a taste of various hospitality and service-related roles.  

The adaptive kitchen will be a place where students gather, collaborate, learn, and share. It’s a place where friendships are forged over shared meals and where the act of cooking together teaches teamwork, communication, and respect for diversity.