19th annual Empty Bowls event raises awareness, funds to combat hunger in the Brazos Valley

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - The 19th annual Brazos Valley Empty Bowls event, held Sunday at Blackwater Draw Brewing Co., brought together artists, community members, and local businesses to support the Brazos Valley Food Bank’s mission of fighting food insecurity.

For a minimum donation of $20, attendees selected from hundreds of unique, hand-crafted bowls and enjoyed a meal of soup and bread, donated by area restaurants, symbolizing the many empty bowls within the community and across the globe.

“In the past two years, the need of our food-insecure neighbors has gone up by 72%. So, this just helps us to provide resources for those folks in the form of food and nutrients, and also resources to help the food bank do what they do and help our neighbors,” said Amanda Bartel with White Lotus Pottery.

The event, entirely volunteer-driven, featured bowls donated by local artists and crafted by community members; including contributions from U Paint-It Pottery, White Lotus Pottery, Joy Pottery, Living Water Pottery, and Salamander Hands Pottery. Weeks earlier, participants pre-painted bowls at U Paint-It or took advantage of a Pottery To-Go option to customize bowls at home.

All proceeds from the event go directly to the Brazos Valley Food Bank, which will use the funds to continue its mission to lessen hunger and provide nutritious food options for residents in need.

“It provides food and support to the Brazos Valley Food Bank to help our food-insecure neighbors. We have sold over $5,000 worth of bowls already. We started with about 250 bowls, and we have just a few left,” boasted Bartel.