The concept behind an empty bowl event is not new. It began in South Carolina as a way to bring attention to the need to feed those less fortunate. Thursday, on the campus of Utah State University in Logan, area restaurants donated soup and bread while members of USU's ceramics guild threw 250 bowls. Visitors who purchased a bowl of soup got to take the bowl home and the money was donated to the Cache Community Food Pantry.
Megan Schwender is a graduate student at USU who came up with the idea to hold an empty bowl event along with USU's College of Natural Resources. She said she hoped that everyone who bought a bowl would "Be reminded every time you use that bowl that you are fortunate to be able to have food in your cabinet every day."
Matt Whitaker is director of the local food pantry. About collaborating with Schwender and the College of Natural Resources he said, "Just before she called I was wracking my brain for some kind of fundraiser that's unique." The money raised during the empty bowls event will go directly toward providing a new building for the food pantry.
"The building has served us well since 1993. As the community has grown, there's more people who need the service, there's more people who contribute the service. We've outgrown the building."
Work has already begun on a new facility to meet the growing need. The new pantry will be located on Main Street in Logan and the renovation will double the size of the current space.