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The second annual Empty Bowls to benefit Ozarks Food Harvest raised over $5,000 to provide 25,000 meals to hungry children, families and seniors in southwest Missouri!

The regional food bank partnered with Panera Bread to offer a bowl handcrafted by a local artist, as well as soup and bread, in exchange for cash donations.

“We’re thrilled with the results from this year’s Empty Bowls. Area artists and community members came together to help their neighbors in need through this unique fundraiser,” said Denise Gibson, Director of Development and Communication at Ozarks Food Harvest. “These bowls will serve as a daily reminder that hunger is a critical issue in the Ozarks, as one in six adults and one in four children may not know where their next meal will come from.”

The event, held on Sept. 25 in the parking lot of Panera on East Sunshine, drew a crowd of more than one hundred attendees. Nearly 50 area artists donated bowls for the event made from 19 varieties of wood, as well as hand-thrown pottery bowls, and even bowls crafted by Springfield elementary and college students.

Over 200 bowls, including six silent auction pieces, were sold to raise a record $5,073.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the results from this year’s event and our relationship with Ozarks Food Harvest,” said Elisa Kruger, Regional Catering Sales Manager and Community Relations Manager for Panera Bread. “I’m also grateful for the generosity of the local artists that made it all possible.”

To get involved with Empty Bowls 2016, contact OFH Communication Coordinator Christine Temple.