Your empty bowl could fill another's plate Saturday, January 27 at Empty Bowls: A Serving of Food, Art, and Music! The fundraiser is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ouachita Candy Company Warehouse.
Empty Bowls is a fundraising event which benefits the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana. It presents local food, art, and live music. After a wildly successful first year in 2017, the Food Bank has decided to make this fundraiser an annual event in the community.
The goal of Empty Bowls is to bring attention to the hunger many people face and to raise funds to continue serving these people. "We rely on the generosity of people in our community," says Sarah Hoffman, External Communications Officer at the Food Bank of NELA. "They make the programs that serve kids, seniors, and the less fortunate in our area possible." Local artists have donated over a hundred unique, handcrafted bowls which represent the empty bowls in our community. To help fill these, the Food Bank serves about 43,000 people annually in 12 parishes in the Northeast Louisiana region.
Empty Bowls will have a tasting menu of food from 16 local restaurants, including P. Nolan's Bistro, RoeLa Roaster, and The Fat Pelican. Chef Cory Bahr will be serving up some of his award-winning food with Parish Restaurant. Joseph Haydel and Dave Hill will be providing live acoustic music, playing a line-up with everything from John Mayer to the Allman Brothers.
There is also fun for the kids! There will be a craft with Macaroni Kids, an educational activity with Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and a jumper for kids to play in. Alyssa Guidry will be hosting a live pottery demonstration, which is fascinating for all ages to watch.
The fundraiser is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ouachita Candy Company Warehouse, located at 215 Walnut Drive in Downtown Monroe. For tickets and more information on the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana's Empty Bowls: A Serving of Food, Art, and Music, visit their website or call 318-322-3567.