CHAPEL HILL – The Inter-Faith Council’s annual RSVVP event is happening Tuesday, and it’s a chance for the community to provide meals for families in need and also to treat their own stomachs.

IFC Executive Director John Dorward explains the “RSVVP” stands for “Restaurants Sharing 10 Percent” – the V’s are Roman numerals.

“It’s fantastic that we have so many local restaurants that take part in this,” Dorward says. “Those restaurants are giving up 10 percent of their daily take, and in many cases, that might be their profit for the day. We thank them very much.”

From ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s on Franklin St. to Bandido’s  Mexican Café in Hillsborough, restaurants will be participating in the event from breakfast till dinner and any snacks in between.

This year RSVVP is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Proceeds go to the IFC’s two food programs, the Community Kitchen, which served more than 80,000 hot meals last year, and the Food Pantry in Carrboro.

“The difference between the haves and have-nots is kind is getting bigger and bigger and growing all the time,” Dorward says. “There are a lot of people who are not necessarily making it.”

Last year, the event raised more than $20,000 for IFC hunger-relief programs. Dorward says this is the time of year when their attention turns to providing holiday meals for families in need.

“We are going to try to provide 400 families [with meals] again this year for Christmas and Thanksgiving,” he says. “And $25 dollars, just $25 dollars, will pay for an entire meal for a family.”

For a full list of participating restaurants, click here.