Good Samaritan Ministries held their annual Empty Bowls fundraiser Tuesday, which was a huge success with 1050 attendees, not counting the nearly 100 volunteers and board members who made the event possible.  Soup for the event was donated by many local restaurants.

Attendees participated by donating a suggested $10 each for a handmade bowl of their choice and a simple meal of soup, bread and water.  At the end of the meal, the diners were encouraged to take the empty bowl home to serve as a reminder that there are those in our own community who have empty bowls and empty stomachs.

This year’s success was very exciting according to Program Director Misty Bowers.

“It’s a great event.  It’s incredible to see how much work goes into the event and great to have the community involved,” said Bowers.  “If no other thing, it’s getting our name out there and was very much a successful event.”

This year’s event had quite an increase in the number of diners bringing in $19,000 for the event, of which 10% will be tithed to Samaritan’s Purse for Emergency Response to Tropical Cyclone Pam across the nation of Vanuatu.

Good Samaritan Ministries’ annual hunger ministry has an annual budget of approximately $150,000, according to Bowers.  This year’s event will fund nearly 13% of this number.

There are several bowls left over which will be on display this Saturday, March 28 at GSM from 9 to 11 a.m. at the GSM office, 305 Clark Street.  Anyone who was unable to attend and would still like a bowl may stop, or others who would like additional bowls may drop by GSM during this time and purchase a bowl for $10.

In years past, this event coincided with another fundraiser, the Feinstein Challenge, which gave additional funds to food pantries across the country according to how much food and donations they could raise in a certain time period.  This year, the Feinstein Challenge has shifted their philanthropic focus to scholarship funding.

The public is asked to continue to remember the Good Samaritan Ministries’ food pantry whenever possible through donations of canned goods, organizing a food drive to benefit GSM or through financial donations.  Currently, the food pantry is running low on foods they use in the homeless ministry.  These include easy to open foods that do not require refrigeration or heating, including items such as Vienna sausage, Ramen noodles, tuna, chili in a can, oatmeal to name a few.

For more information about Good Samaritan Ministries, please call 643-2273.

Pictured above is a young attendee as she selected her own bowl.

Friends show each other the bowls they found.

An event for all ages, the Mitchell family enjoyed soup and a little family time.

Pictured above are some of the bowls handpainted for the event.