A fundraiser to help feed children in the region is underway. Ozarks Food Harvest’s 13th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser goes through September 30. A variety of handmade bowls is available for purchase at bit.ly/emptybowlsonline.
An in-person event will be held at Panera Bread on S. Campbell October 1 from 3 to 7. The first 250 people on that day who purchase a bowl will receive free soup and bread.
The money raised will go to the food bank’s Weekend Backpack Program, which provides nearly 1,800 children in 15 southwest Missouri counties with nutritious and accessible weekend meals during the school year.
“The empty bowls remind us of the children in our community who don’t know where their next meal may come from,” said Bart Brown, president and CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest in a statement. “By purchasing a bowl, you’re helping kids facing hunger right here in the Ozarks bring nutritious food home each weekend.”
Local artists donated handcrafted bowls for the fundraiser, including the Woodturners of Southwest Missouri. They’ve been creating and donating bowls for the event since 2014.
"The Woodturners of Southwest Missouri are always passionate about giving back to the community, and Ozarks Food Harvest is an organization that is near and dear to our hearts. No child should go hungry, and we are honored to be able to contribute to this worthwhile cause,” said Marian Stahl-Chamberlain, president of the Woodturners of Southwest Missouri in a statement.
The event has raised more than $90,000 since it began in 2014.
