A fundraiser for Second Harvest Food Bank, the 11th Annual Empty Bowls was held Thursday evening at the Champaign County Fairgrounds Merchants Building.

The annual event, in which diners purchase a hand-crafted bowl and fill it with soup from local caterers and restaurants, was not held in-person during the pandemic but it was held virtually.

Previously, the event had been held at Urbana University, which closed in the midst of the pandemic.

As the only food bank in Clark, Champaign, and Logan counties, Second Harvest Food Bank distributes over 8 million pounds of food annually. Second Harvest Food Bank’s daily operation consists of sourcing and gathering food, sorting and cataloging the food, then warehousing the inventory to be distributed to agency members throughout a three-county service area.

Second Harvest Food Bank is a member of Feeding America and the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. Second Harvest Food Bank is responsible for safe handling of all food products adhering to state and federal guidelines including providing member oversight to pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.

Empty Bowls supporters Carol Haley and Helen Reid (front) pose with Lana Jones and Erykah Andrews (Second Harvest Food Bank workers) after Haley and Reid picked out their soup.

https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2022/04/web1_1..jpgEmpty Bowls supporters Carol Haley and Helen Reid (front) pose with Lana Jones and Erykah Andrews (Second Harvest Food Bank workers) after Haley and Reid picked out their soup. John Coffman Photography

Colorful hand-crafted bowls fill a table, waiting to be purchased during the Second Harvest Food Bank’s fundraiser known as Empty Bowls.

https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2022/04/web1_2..jpgColorful hand-crafted bowls fill a table, waiting to be purchased during the Second Harvest Food Bank’s fundraiser known as Empty Bowls. John Coffman Photography