Empty Bowls Runneth Over

Empty Bowls, the popular fundraiser for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, staged its 27th event at the new $20 million Sharehouse in Goleta, with more than 750 guests participating in the artisan bread and soup event.

The 77,000 square foot Foodbank property boasts ten times the refrigeration storage space, and the sold-out fun food fest raised around $120,000 – featuring three varieties of gourmet soup made by the local company Freedom 4 Youth, which provides nourishment to low income residents, and fresh bread from Phoenix Bread Rising.

The concept, which includes a free ceramic bowl included in the $30 ticket price, started in Wisconsin in 1991 and was brought to our Eden by the Beach by ceramicist Danyel Dean, being held in recent years in the Page Youth Center.

More than 230,000 people in the county are assisted by the Foodbank. To date, Empty Bowls has raised more than $2.5 million for the community.

Liquid assets, indeed…