Fill the hungry by supporting Empty Bowls

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SALT LAKE CITY — Over the last four years the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall has provided 1.5 million meals for the hungry in Salt Lake City. This includes daily lunch and dinner for dining hall patrons and for those who live at six homeless shelters in the Salt Lake metro area.

Although it frequently receives food donations, the dining hall has only one annual fundraiser, Empty Bowls, which started in 2004. Each year potters donate ceramic bowls and other artists donate wooden bowls; benefactors purchase the bowls and the proceeds benefit the dining hall. Each year about 500 bowls are sold; about $15,000 is raised annually.

“It reaches a broader audience than our normal supporters, giving us a chance to let people know about the mission of St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall and all that they do,” Catholic Community Services Communications Director Kearstin Fernandez said of Empty Bowls.

“The Empty Bowls donations provide us an opportunity to help those in need,” said CCS Basic Needs Director Randy Chappell. “We use these funds to supplement food items or spices that we don’t get through donations that we use for our meals. Empty Bowls is a great event and a good way to get connected to the dining hall. With your donation, you also walk away some amazing pottery bowls.”

At the event community members may purchase ceramic or wooden bowls created and donated by local artists and art classes. The handmade bowls start at $20.

Last year Art Haus partnered with Catholic Community Services to provide many of the bowls for the event. This year Art Haus has organized two two-day bowl throwing sessions to make the bowls. Pottery teachers, professionals and students donate their time and clay, and Art Haus fires the items at no cost to CCS.

“Empty Bowls has a great reputation and several staff and students had participated along with other potteries in the past,” said CCS Board of Trustees Member Mike Stransky, who takes classes at Art Haus. He will be donating about a dozen bowls this year that he made himself.  

“Empty Bowls speaks for itself,” Stransky said.  “Without the help of CCS and the St. Vincent Dining Hall many of our neighbors (who have empty bowls) don’t have access to three meals per day.  That’s how much Empty Bowls means to CCS’s clients.  It is very rewarding to know that we are all helping.”

“The event itself brings together a wide spectrum of visitors and bowl buyers,” he added. “There are bowls of every type, size, shape and color:  a bowl for everyone.”

Empty Bowls will be held Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. at FFKR Architects, 730 Pacific Ave, Salt Lake City. In 2018 FFKR Architects became a sponsoring partner of the annual event, which this year will include a live band, a simple meal and a cash bar. All proceeds will benefit CCS’ St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall.

Catholic Community Services is still looking for handmade bowl donations to sell at the event. Bowl submission deadline is Friday, Sept. 1. To donate or to explore sponsorship opportunities for this event, contact Maresha Bosgieter at mbosgieter@ccsutah.org or 801-428-1230.

Empty Bowls is an international project to fight hunger, organized and personalized by artists and nonprofit organizations on a local level.

WHAT: Empty Bowls fundraiser for the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall

WHEN: Sept. 15, 6 p.m.

WHERE: FFKR Architects, 730 Pacific Ave., SLC

COST: Free, but donations accepted. Bowls start at $20.