Changing the Community One Bowl at a Time
Empty Bowls Virginia Peninsula is dedicated to fighting hunger and food insecurity by uniting volunteers and supporters. Our mission is to create lasting change through our Empty Bowls event and fundraising efforts, with handmade bowls crafted to inspire hope and connection
Our History
Empty Bowls Virginia Peninsula is a completely volunteer driven organization working to reduce hunger and food insecurity in our local peninsula communities. Our grassroots efforts raise both money and awareness in the fight against hunger. The Empty Bowls project stared with a Michigan art teacher in 1990 as a way to raise charitable funds for his community. His idea spread, and Empty Bowls events now take place across the United States and in at least a dozen other countries. Millions of dollars have been raised and donated to hunger fighting organizations. This chapter has succeeded in getting in excess of 95% of all donations directly to the charities we support every year since 2012.
The Empty Bowls Story
In 2011, a committee of five enthusiastic volunteers first met to discuss hosting an Empty Bowls event on the Virginia Peninsula. As plans for the fundraiser developed, the committee grew to over 50 volunteers for our first event. In the summer of 2012, we incorporated as Empty Bowls Virginia Peninsula, Inc., and received designation as a 501(c)(3) organization shortly thereafter.