Empty bowls filled with soup will fight hunger--not just for one meal, but for many.
Fighting hunger is what Empty Bowls Schoharie County is all about, and the fourth annual event is set for Sunday, November 16.
It will be in Bouck Ballroom on the SUNY Cobleskill campus and will run from 11am to 3pm.
At Empty Bowls, people buy decorated bowls from $6 to $14 and get soup and bread from one of more than 30 restaurants offering their best fare. And then visitors get to keep their bowls.
All proceeds go to Schoharie County's 17 food pantries that help needy families.
Jacqui Hauser and Erynne Ansel-McCabe started Empty Bowls in 2011 knowing that there are many local families going hungry.
"We take it for granted that we have enough," Ms. Hauser said. "But that's not true for everyone.
"There are families where the cupboard is bare. Kids go to school hungry. As a parent, I can understand how desperate that situation can be."
Last year's Empty Bowls raised a little less than $5,000. Ms. Hauser is hoping to top $5,000 on November 16.
Besides soup and bread, Stewart's is donating ice cream sundaes.
There will also be a silent auction and ticket auction, and Kristina Johnson and her band will play music.
Spread out on several long tables so that people can pick and choose, the bowls themselves remain the centerpiece. Ms. Hauser said there will be about 690 this year as opposed to 550 last year.
Residents, families, students, scouts, civic groups and others painted the bowls in the summer and fall. Each one is unique.
So are the soups. Restaurants from A Taste of Europe to Wellington's Herbs and Spices are participating, as are college sororities and clubs. All are donating their soups.
"This is a fun event, and it's a great way to support the need," Ms. Hauser said. "This is really for the community, and everyone can take part."
Although she's had plenty of help already, Ms. Hauser needs volunteers to set up and clean up. Anyone interested can call her at 296-8122.