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Artists and community members came together this September for the most successful Empty Bowls yet. The third annual fundraiser held at Panera Bread raised $7,440, selling all 220 handcrafted bowls donated by nearly 60 local artists.

The empty bowls are symbolic of the one in six adults and one in four children who struggle with hunger in the Ozarks.

“Thanks to all the artists who donated bowls and community members who made donations to take them home, and special thanks to Panera for hosting the event for a third year,” said Denise Gibson, director of development and communication at Ozarks Food Harvest. “This grassroots fundraiser has made such a difference for people in need.”

Event-goers made donations to receive a handcrafted bowl and a meal of soup and bread, courtesy of Panera.

The bowls donated by local artists were made from 21 varieties of wood, hand-thrown pottery and even marble and gourd.

Since 2014, Empty Bowls has collected over $14,000 in donations, providing over 70,000 meals through Ozarks Food Harvest’s feeding programs.

Empty Bowls was the final major event of Hunger Action Month, a month-long awareness campaign held every September when Ozarks Food Harvest encourages community members to take a stand against hunger.

“This year’s Hunger Action Month was our most successful yet. We set record fundraising totals with all our major events, and engaged more people than ever in our mission,” said Gibson. “We can’t wait for next year.”