Nourish the body and warm the soul while fighting hunger in our community. The public is invited to join Northland Pioneer College (NPC) for the annual “Empty Bowls” soup kitchen event, Friday, October 31, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Aspen Center, Room 103 on the Show Low campus. No reservations are needed. All proceeds from the event go directly to the RE:center, a local non-profit organization that works to provide vital services in our communities by increasing health, safety, and self-sufficiency.

Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort led by artists and educators who work with the community to make one-of-a-kind hand-crafted bowls to help fight hunger. The bowls for this year’s Empty Bowls event were crafted during a bowl “Make-a-Thon” event held at NPC earlier this fall. For a donation of $10, NPC Empty Bowl diners will receive and keep one of the uniquely handcrafted ceramic bowls and use it for a simple meal of soup and bread. Each year, the soup is generously donated by Persnikkity’s restaurant in Show Low and served with a warm, fresh portion of bread courtesy of The Bread Shed in Lakeside.

“A cup of hot soup and a simple slice of bread may be more than the daily meal for many who face food insecurity in our community,” said NPC Art Faculty Magda Gluszek, organizer of the annual event. “We ask participants to keep the bowls as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world and as a thank you for contributing to the effort to fight local hunger.”

This year, the event will also feature an art and plant sale to raise funds for student scholarships and NPC’s student art club. Empty Bowls is first-come, first-served, and there are plenty of bowls and other items to shop for, even if you did not attend the make-a-thon. “We had a very generous donation of beautiful hand-crafted bowls come to us from an organization in Tucson last year,” explained Gluszek. “They will be available to purchase, use, and take home, until the soup and bread run out.”

Payment for the Empty Bowls event and all other sales must be made by cash or check. Digital donations can also be made to the RE:center via a QR code at the event.

Direct questions about the Empty Bowls project and event to Magda Gluszek at 532-6176 or email magda.gluszek@npc.edu.