Local potters, woodworkers, and glassblowers have spent countless hours making bowls this past year to donate to Empty Bowls, an annual event that raises funds to help fill the empty bowls of Pierce County residents in need.

Empty Bowls is an annual tradition enjoyed by more than 500 people each year. Attendees search through more than 1,000 handcrafted bowls to find their favorites. Once selections are made and purchased, with all proceeds going to Emergency Food Network (EFN), attendees make their way to eat free soup, donated and served by Café Pacific Catering, Chambers Bay Grill, Happy Belly, Indo Asian Street Eatery, Infinite Soups, Pacific Grill, Spring Lake Café, Stanley and Seaforts, The Swiss, and X-Group Restaurants.

This year’s Empty Bowls event is Saturday, November 17, 2018 at Charles Wright Academy from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Admission is FREE. Bowl prices start at $10.
Empty Bowls began as a grassroots project for local artists and community members to work together to assist people suffering from hunger. The event now spans to twelve countries and many states across the U.S., generating millions of dollars for various hunger relief agencies. For the last 19 years, EFN has hosted Empty Bowls in Pierce County, highlighting works from talented veteran artists and new local talent. In 2017, EFN raised over $35,000 from Empty Bowls. This is the equivalent of 175,000 meals for food-insecure Pierce County residents.

The Lead and Supporting Sponsors for this year’s Empty Bowls event include Toyota Lift Northwest, Coordinated Care, TOTE Maritime, and UFCW Local 367.

The continued success of Empty Bowls is due to the overwhelming community support from artists who donate the bowls, volunteers who set up and help run the event, local restaurants that donate soup, and the 500-plus community members who attend the event.