Empty Bowls is a biannual event to benefit Good Shepherd Center and Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, two local organizations working to feed the hungry throughout the tri-county area. On March 16, the Empty Bowls luncheon event will be held 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church Activities Center.
 
“Empty Bowls is a program that takes place in communities across the country, with each community creating their own interpretation of the event,” said event chair Jane Raddack. “The focus is on both global and local hunger, and while the event may look very different in each community, the underlying intent is to make people aware of food insecurity.”
 
Guests will wait in line for soup prepared by local restaurants. Following lunch, which also includes homemade bread and dessert, each ticketholder will select a unique, handcrafted pottery bowl made by a local artist to take home as a functional piece of art and keepsake.
 
“The reason we have guests wait in line to be served is to really emphasize what it’s like to stand in line for food,” Raddack said. “I myself have never had to worry about where my next meal is coming from, but I know that for many others that is not the case.”
 
Raddack said this year’s event will also include a “call to heart” donation drive, where ticketholders can give additional funds to support the Good Shepard Center and Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard while waiting in line, whether it be spare change or a credit card donation.
 
Nearly 1,500 handmade bowls have been donated so far, and the final number of bowls will dictate how many tickets will be sold. In 2016, the event raised about $50,000, Raddack said.
 
“We’re fortunate that the event operates on an all-volunteer and all-donation basis and therefore we have very minimal overhead,” Raddack said.
 
This year’s participating restaurants include: Savorez, The Oceanic, Cape Fear Seafood Company, Cornerstone Bistro, Port Land Grille, Little Pond Caterers, Chop's Deli, The Basics, Spoonfed Kitchen & Bake Shop, Lovey's Natural Foods & Cafe, Pine Valley Market, True Blue Butcher & Table, Cousins Italian Deli, Catch Restaurant,  Rx Restaurant and Bar, CRUZ, South Beach Grill, manna, PinPoint, Cast Iron Kitchen, Slice of Life, Rucker Johns, Surf House,  EPIC Food Co., Brasserie du Soleil, Osteria Cicchetti, Milner's Cafe & Catering, Sweet n Savory and The Pilot House.

Tickets are $20 each, and are available at several locations around Wilmington, including: 

• Good Shepherd Center, 811 Martin St.
• Blue Moon Gift Shops and Eclipse Artisan Boutique, 203 Racine Drive
• Temptations Gourmet Cafe - Hanover Center
• Temptations Everyday Gourmet - Porter's Neck
• FBC Activities Center, 1939 Independence Blvd.
• Jester's Cafe, 607 Castle St.
• Grace United Methodist Church, 401 Grace St.
• New Elements Gallery, 271 N. Front St.
• Art in Bloom LLC, 210 Princess St.
• Airlie Moon, Lumina Station
• Port Land Grille, 1908 Eastwood Road, Suite 111
• Carolina Beach Furniture, 1021 N. Lake Blvd., Carolina Beach.  

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact [email protected] for details.
 
Have a tip for Restaurant Roundup? Email [email protected].