‘Empty Bowls’ will return to replenish community needs

Ken-Tenn FoodBank Director Ginger Bard will once again coordinate a fundraising event to assist with providing food to families in the local area.

"Empty Bowls" will be staged on March 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Fulton's Pontotoc Community Center.

Those who purchase tickets may stay and dine with those present at the Pontotoc Community center, or take-out is available.

Tickets are $15, in advance or at the door, with those in attendance not only treated to their choices of a variety of soups, breads and desserts, but also given the opportunity to choose and take home a one-of-a-kind creation crafted and provided by Dr. David McBeth and his students at the University of Tennessee at Martin.

"Dr. McBeth is so generous with his time and his craft," Bard said, noting the donation of dozens of unique bowls on display, from which attendees may choose.

Bard said she will once again contact local area churches to request donations of soups, breads and desserts for the event.

"Our numbers have grown in those we serve but we are serving them! For the past two years we have added a distribution of Thanksgiving boxes to people in the Twin Cities on both sides of the state line," Bard said. .

Assistance may be offered in a variety of ways.

Contributions will be accepted for a pot of soup, bread or cornbread, finger dessert.

Help will also be needed during the dinner.

"We are thinking that we will have 175 donated bowls so we will need 36 to 40 pots of soup. Food donations may be delivered to the Pontotoc Building after 1 p.m. on March 15.. The supper will start at 5:30 and last till 7. It is on the Tuesday following the Daylight Saving Time change," Bard said.

Those willing to donate soup, bread, or dessert, may call or text to 270-627-1323.to help assure the correct amount of soup will be available.

Those who bring soup are requested to bring it in a crock pot to keep warm. Bard said labels provided on crock pots would be helpful, with pick-up of crock pots at the Pontotoc Center, at or shortly following 7 p.m.

"Those who used a plastic liner in crock pots provided for the previous event were a Godsend. It made clean-up so much easier," Bard said.

All proceeds from the March 15 "Empty Bowls" event will go to the Ken-Tenn Foodbank.

Empty Bowls is a grassroots movement by artists and crafts people in cities and towns around the world to raise money for food related charities to care for and feed the hungry in their communities.

Empty Bowls supports food-related charitable organizations around the world, and has raised millions of dollars to help end hunger.