27th annual Empty Bowls raises 83,565 meals for people in need

Empty Bowls returned on May 28 at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis Hall and was a huge success!

The 27th annual event, organized by the Robert Langen Art Gallery and the Waterloo Potters’ Workshop, raised more than $41,000 for The Food Bank of Waterloo Region—enough to provide an incredible 83,565 meals!

These meals will be distributed through the 54 organizations that make up the Community Food Assistance Network, helping ensure that more than 73,600 adults and children in our community who rely on food assistance have access to healthy, nutritious food.

Adding even more meaning, this year’s Empty Bowls event coincided with World Hunger Day—a global reminder that millions of people around the world are living with food insecurity. Here in Waterloo region, one in eight households is affected.

More than 500 people attended either the lunch or dinner seating. At each seating, guests received a beautiful, one-of-a-kind bowl of their choosing—handcrafted and donated by members of the Waterloo Potters’ Workshop. They then filled their bowls with a selection of gourmet soups and bowl meals, lovingly prepared by local chefs and restaurants. Afterwards, guests took their bowls home as a special keepsake from the day.

Guests were also invited to donate to vote for their favourite soup. Chef D was named this year’s favourite soup provider, with Bodega Rose coming in a close second.

Thank you so much to everyone who attended. Your support helps ensure no one in Waterloo region goes hungry.

We’re incredibly grateful to Wilfrid Laurier University for hosting this event year after year, and to the members of the Waterloo Potters’ Workshop for continuing to handcraft and donate hundreds of beautiful bowls.

Thank you also to our volunteers for generously giving their time; to the restaurants and chefs for providing all the delicious soups and bowl meals; to our in-kind supporters for donating products and services; and to our event sponsor, Bennett Wealth Management of RBC Dominion Securities Inc., for making this event possible.