Ozarks Food Harvest hosts 12th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser Sept. 25-Oct. 2
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Ozarks Food Harvest is partnering with Panera Bread to host the 12th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser Sept. 25 to Oct 2 to raise funds for their Weekend Backpack Program. Holmes and Griffeth Financial Planners is the presenting sponsor.
Local artists donated handcrafted bowls that will be available for purchase online from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1 at bit.ly/emptybowlsonline or in-person at Panera Bread on Campbell Avenue in Springfield on Oct. 2 from 3-7 p.m. The Woodturners of Southwest Missouri, a chapter of the American Association of Woodturners, have been creating and donating bowls for the event since 2014.
“The Woodturners of Southwest Missouri are passionate about their partnership and support for Ozarks Food Harvest and the Empty Bowls fundraising event. Every year, funds are raised in our community to help fight hunger. It is wonderful to be able to put our time, skills and craft toward such a worthwhile cause,” said Marian Chamberlain, president of the Woodturners of Southwest Missouri.
In southwest Missouri, 1 in 5 children face hunger. The funds raised during the Empty Bowls fundraiser will support Ozarks Food Harvest’s Weekend Backpack Program, which provides nearly 1,700 children across 15 counties in southwest Missouri with nutritious and accessible weekend meals throughout the school year. The first 250 donors online and at the in-person event will receive free soup and bread while supplies last, courtesy of Panera.
“The empty bowls serve as a reminder of the many children facing hunger in our community and across southwest Missouri,” said Bart Brown, president and CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest. “When you purchase a bowl, you’re helping end hunger as every dollar goes directly to providing a meal to a child in need.”
Since 2014, Empty Bowls has raised nearly $78,000 to provide more than 292,000 meals through Ozarks Food Harvest’s programs and network of charities.
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About Ozarks Food Harvest — The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving 270 faith-based and community charities across a third of Missouri. The Food Bank reaches 70,000 individuals monthly and provides more than 20 million meals annually. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or instagram.com/ozarksfoodharvest.