Organizers of the 12th annual Empty Bowls event hope to raise $20,000 this year to continue services to food-insecure residents of Clark, Champaign and Logan counties. The event will be in-person with the opportunity to sit down and enjoy your soup over a conversation with friends.
Second Harvest Food Bank CCL is thrilled to be back in-person with this popular event. Held at the Champaign County Fairgrounds Activities Building from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, individuals will be able to pick their own beautifully, hand-crafted bowl and soup of their choice to sit down with friends and family over conversation.
Bowls will be $20, and that includes the soup. Proceeds benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties.
As the only food bank in Clark, Champaign, and Logan counties, Second Harvest Food Bank distributes over six 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.
In 2022, SHFB distributed nearly 750,000 pounds of food to over 10 non-profit member agencies in Champaign County. These member agencies served over 600,000 meals to hungry families in our community. The past couple of years have shaken our communities in a way we have never seen, resulting in more people utilizing the services at Second Harvest Food Bank. Between the pandemic and inflation, even a few years later, the numbers continue to be higher than normal and are likely to remain high. Your support does make a difference.
Patrons will be able to choose from over 500 beautifully hand-crafted bowls created by local artists and students. The soups are generously provided by local restaurants and caterers in Champaign County, including:
– Magic Soup provided by Hippie and the Farmer
– Potato Soup provided by The Farmer’s Daughter
– Venezuelan Soup provided by Abuela’s Kitchen
– Dill Pickle Soup provided by Mercy Health Cafeteria
– Beer Cheese Soup provided by Mercy Health Cafeteria
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.
Sponsors of the event are CT Comm, The Peoples Savings Bank, Johnson Welded Products, Tri-County Insurance Services LLC, Marc and Shary Stadler, Urbana Lions Club, Karen T. Bailey, Michael Farms, KTH Parts Industries, Bundy Baking Solutions and Urbana United Methodist Church.
For information or to become a sponsor of this year’s Empty Bowls event, please contact Audrey Vanzant at 937-325-8715 ext. 102 or [email protected].
_____
About Second Harvest: Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties, a member of Feeding America, serves the tri-county community by sourcing, collecting, storing and distributing over 8 million pounds of food to 65 non-profit member agencies which feed the hungry directly. Second Harvest is focused on bringing healthy, nutritious food to those in our communities struggling with hunger through innovative programs such as senior food initiatives and mobile pantry distributions.
