What is the Empty Bowls Project?

 History

 Empty Bowls began in 1990 as an art class project in a

 Michigan high school to raise funds for a food drive.

 Students made ceramic bowls, served a meal of soup

 and bread, and invited guests to keep the bowl as a reminder of hunger in the world.

 By the following year the organizers had developed this idea into the Empty Bowls Project and  established the  imagine|RENDER Group, a 501(c)3 organization designed to promote the concept.

 Since its inception, this simple project has evolved into a far-reaching program providing support for

 food banks, soup kitchens and other organizations that fight hunger. Empty Bowls events have been held  throughout the world, raising millions of dollars for use in combating hunger. 

 The basic idea for Empty Bowls is straightforward:

• Participants create ceramic bowls, then serve a simple meal of soup and bread.
• Guests choose a bowl to keep as a reminder that there are always Empty Bowls in the world.
  
• In exchange for a meal and the bowl, the Guest contributes a recommended minimum donation.
  
• The Meal Sponsor selects a hunger-fighting organization to receive the collected donations.
  
• Any organization fighting hunger qualifies.
  
• All funds raised under the name of Empty Bowls must be used for fighting hunger.

 The Salina Emergency Aid/Food Bank and the Salina Community

 Emergency Aid / Food Bank’s annual Empty Bowls event is exactly for that purpose.  It is our only fundraising  event of the  year.  Each year the staff and Board of Directors puts in an enormous amount of time and effort  to make this event happen.  It is through the generous donation of time from individuals, churches and groups  creating bowls, soup prepared by many local restaurants and of course the financial contributions made by  families and businesses in the Salina and Saline County area that we are able to do this.

 The Salina Emergency Aid/Food Bank needs your monetary help during this event so that we may continue to  serve those in  our community less fortunate than us.  We appreciate every donation, no matter the size, and  will use your donation to feed and support individuals and families regardless of race, sex or religion.

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