Empty Bowls again raising money to feed the hungry

The annual event is this Friday, Feb. 28, at Enumclaw High.

Empty Bowls, an annual event to help feed Enumclaw’s hungry, will be raising money this Friday.

Organizers and guests will gather from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Enumclaw High School commons. Attendees will be served a simple bowl of soup, a roll, a cookie and a bottle of water.

If the meal seems rather minimal, it’s entirely by design, according to coordinator Meaghan Iunker. “You will leave hungry,” she said, “and because of our great community, we can help prevent our neighbors from feeling that hunger on a regular basis.”

She explains that everyone attending Empty Bowls receives a note with their simple meal. It reads, “The meal you are eating tonight is what many of your neighbors experience daily. If you still feel hungry, you are not alone.”

Pre-sale tickets are $20 and are available through Thursday at the Enumclaw Chamber of Commerce; tickets will be sold at the door for $25.

At the heart of the event are custom, handmade bowls that guests take home at the end of the night. The majority of the bowls, perhaps 350, were created by students at Green River College.

Empty Bowls was first staged in Enumclaw as a way to raise money for the local food bank. Proceeds now are directed to Plateau Outreach Ministries, which offers food and other necessities to those in need.

The Empty Bowls project is made possible through donations by a variety of businesses and individuals. For example, soup for this year’s event will be provided by The Lee, The Kettle, Enumclaw Health and Rehabilitation Center, The Cornerstone Café (at St. Elizabeth Hospital), the Enumclaw School District and Griffin and Wells.

Cookies are provided by Village Concepts-High Point Village, Enlivant-Cascade Place and Prestige Senior Living-Expressions. Rolls are being provided by The Mint and QFC is donating bottled water.

Tags: