Help Feed Hungry Children; Empty Bowls Event Returns to Ferrum March 13

FEERUM – Empty Bowls, a longstanding tradition at Ferrum College, returns this year on Sunday, March 13, and will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Blue Ridge Mountain Room in Franklin Hall on campus. During Empty Bowls, attendees can purchase handmade bowls and lunch to support the Panther Packs program, which provides meals to local children who come from food-insecure homes.

The cost is $15 for a handmade bowl, soup, bread, and dessert, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Students with ID receive a $5 discount. Cash, cards, and checks are accepted as payment.

In addition to the sale of the “empty bowls”, additional funds will be raised for Panther Packs through a silent auction featuring works from local artisans and donations from the event sponsor, the Blue Ridge Potters Guild.

“Our Empty Bowls event represents a strong community collaboration between the Ferrum College ceramics classes, students, employees, alumni, and dining services; the Blue Ridge Potters Guild; many local and regional artists; and several community organizations,” explains Nell Fredericksen, co-coordinator of the program.

“All of these volunteers work together to achieve the goal of making over 400 unique bowls, make and donate items for a fabulous silent auction, create our advertising and promotions, and work in many ways to ensure the success of the event,” continues Fredericksen.

The goal of this year’s Empty Bowls event is to raise a minimum of $6,000, all of which will benefit the Panther Packs program, which provides more than 13,000 meals during the school year to qualifying Ferrum Elementary School children.