Empty Bowls Dinner 2019

On Saturday, October 12th, at Landmark College, the Empty Bowls Steering Committee will serve up the 16th Annual Empty Bowls Dinner to benefit the food shelf program at Groundworks Collaborative, now known as Foodworks.

Empty Bowls is a fun and family-friendly evening celebrating local potters, restaurants, and businesses coming together to raise vital funds for the food shelf program at Groundworks Collaborative. Diners choose a handmade bowl to keep from one of hundreds of local potters and soup from one of roughly 20 area restaurants. The meal is rounded out with local bread, yogurt, cheese, and apples.

“It’s a simple and delicious meal in a beautiful bowl to take home,” said Josh Davis, Groundworks’ Executive Director. “We love the way this event brings out so many people in our community to support, not only our food shelf program, but also the arts and a love of local food.”

Last year—through the support of sponsors, diners, and those who could not attend, but purchased bowls—the dinner raised over $32,000. This year, organizers hope to out-raise years past as Groundworks has recently moved its food shelf program to Canal Street. The new and more accessible location opened in August at 141 Canal Street—the former home of Domino’s Pizza—where Groundworks expects to serve at least 10% more of our community’s food insecure families and individuals. Foodworks is the region’s most heavily utilized food shelf program, providing supplemental food to upwards of 1000 individuals each month.

“The new space allows us to do so much more with the program,” said Foodworks Coordinator Christine Colascione, who has designed a small sampling station where patrons and volunteers can try out different vegetables, etc., and get ideas for meals made from items available at Foodworks. “A new waiting area with books and recipes has made the space feel warm and welcoming. We’re excited to find more ways to make Foodworks an inclusive, educational, and community-building space!”

Foodworks staff encourage the community to come and check out the new space, which aims to feel more like shopping a neighborhood grocery store. Patrons of Foodworks may fully “shop” the space once each month and are encouraged to come back weekly for additional produce and bread.

Tickets for both the 5pm and 6:30 seatings of the Empty Bowls Dinner are now on sale at the Brattleboro Food Co-op, Everyone’s Books, The Shoe Tree, and the Putney Food Co-op, as well as online at: GroundworksVT.org/EVENTS.

The Brattleboro Food Co-op will also host ticket and bowl sales on September 10, 11, 13, 17, 18, and 20, from 10am to 6pm. Tickets and bowls can also be purchased at tables at both the September and October Gallery Walks.

Adult tickets are $25 in advance and $30 when purchased at the door. Youth tickets—ages 6-15—are available for $15. Children 6 and under are free.

For $25 Groundworks can provide food for a family of 5 for one month.

“It’s such an impactful event for Foodworks,” says Groundworks’ Director of Development & Communications Libby Bennett. “We are grateful to all of the potters, restaurants, florists, bakeries, cheese producers, sponsors, and ticket sellers, as well as to Landmark College for hosting us and C&S, who provides a great deal of in-kind support. Everyone comes together to make this event a success so we can continue to help our neighbors in need. It’s a great feeling!”

If you have questions or would like to volunteer, please email EmptyBowlsSoVT@gmail.com or call 802-490-2951.

The Co-op will sell Empty Bowls Dinner tickets at Shareholder Services and Register #1 starting Monday, September 9th.