Fighting Hunger is Only an Empty Bowl Away

A fellow co-worker and I were painting bowls for our Empty Bowls event the other day and she shared with me how it is one of her favorite Food Bank fundraisers.  That got me thinking, what is it about Empty Bowls that makes it so special?  Maybe it’s the fact that it goes beyond being just a fundraiser, it goes beyond being just a Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano event.  It is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger whose basic premise is simple: Potters, craftspeople and others in the community contribute handcrafted bowls. Guests are invited to a simple meal of soup and bread, and to meet local activists from their own community and hear how they are working to end hunger and food insecurity.   In exchange for a cash donation, guests are asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in their community. The money raised goes directly to feed people in need.

A simple idea ,yet is the collective passion and effort of all the people involved that has made Empty Bowls what it has become. Events have now taken place across the United States and in at least a dozen other countries. Many millions of dollars have been raised and donated to hunger-fighting organizations.  It is a project spread through individual communities that has touched people on a global scale.

A key component to Empty Bowls is people.  You.  Me.  Our family and friends.  Local businesses who provide sponsorship and volunteer time, such as Chevron, CBS5, Diablo Magazine and and the AppelLaw Firm in Walnut Creek.

Together we can share a meal, raise awareness and be part of something great. Everyone is invited to the table.  Won’t you join us?

Register for Empty Bowls, Concord, March 9th 5-7pm

Register for Empty Bowls, Fairfield, March 10th 3-5pm