PUTNEY — The Empty Bowls dinner will take place at Landmark College as a fundraiser for Groundworks Collaborative's Food Shelf. A group of dedicated potters and community volunteers come together each year to create this event, on Saturday, Oct. 7, benefitting neighbors in need.
The Food Shelf at Groundworks Collaborative is the region's most heavily used food pantry, providing supplemental food to upwards of 1,000 individuals each month.
Because Groundworks can leverage donations - purchasing just one quarter of the food the nonprofit distributes to food-insecure households - each $25 ticket or bowl purchase can provide a month's worth of supplemental food for a family of five.
Each ticket includes a meal of soup - served in a handmade bowl to keep - as well as bread and cheese. Attendees will be able to choose from signature bowls made by many of the region's best known and most talented potters.
More than 15 local cafés and restaurants are donating homemade soups to the dinner.
For the past several months, a steering committee - made up of members from all corners of the community - has been busily working with local potters and restaurants to arrange for handmade bowls and soups that make the event a unique combination of the arts, social justice, and culinary delight.
Scott Sharland, a program specialist with Greater Falls Connections and the board secretary for Groundworks Collaborative, is co-chairing the event for the second year. Jess Rodrigues, Girls on the Run Program Coordinator, has joined the steering committee this year as co-chair.
Last year - through the support of sponsors, diners, and those who could not attend but purchased bowls - the dinner raised more than $28,000, the largest fundraiser of the year for Groundworks. Sharland and Rodrigues are setting their sights on a goal of $30,000 for this year's event.
Sharland said, “I love southern Vermont for its sense of community, generosity, and social justice. This event really brings together all of those things in a creative way.”
“We are committed to supplying emergency food for all who need it in this community,” says Groundworks' Executive Director Josh Davis.