We Sold Out, A Souper Event!

6th annual Empty Bowls

It is hard to believe one week has already passed since our annual fundraiser and community dinner! It has taken about that long to finish unpacking my office, returning crockpots, and processing the incredible evening.

Soup servers ready to begin!

One of my favorite moments was right before the rush of attendees, when the soup was warming in crockpots, Judy Marti’s voice and guitar was filling the space, and five tables of gorgeous bowls were laid out with care. I had the chance to appreciate how months of planning coupled with hardworking, passionate volunteers had utterly transformed the gymnasium into a venue capable of welcoming, nourishing, and connecting 400 members of our community.

Thanks to that energy, word of mouth, and advertising, at the end of the event we had given out all of the bowls, soup, bread, and dessert, helping us to surpass our goal and raise $9,219 to support our work.

Even more incredible are the individuals who attended the event and have signed up to start volunteering with us, or who will become powerful storytellers and help us continue to reach more people experiencing food insecurity, more farmers, and more volunteers. For a program with 1-2 staff in each county, our volunteers are indispensable.

Too many beautiful bowls, how can you pick?

One attendee whose work had taken her to dozens of Empty Bowls events in the region, shared that our event had really impressed her, another attendee shared that they love coming from year to year to reconnect with old friends, and another attendee said that the event had felt like a “best kept secret” and they were thrilled to finally have been able to attend.

On behalf of The Gleaning Project and SCCAP, we cannot express enough our gratitude for the individuals and organizations that made this event a success, and we cannot wait to see you again next year!

This was our 6th annual event, and each year we add or change elements to make the event run smoothly. We welcome any feedback you may have: click here.

Thanks to our sponsors:

Inns of the Gettysburg Area, Mike’s Kars, Gettysburg Animal Hospital, Fred & Cheryl Froelicher

Marc and Elisah from Bakewell Farms.

Thanks to our soup + food donors:

Food 101, Grace Pena, Traci Lochbaum, Brenda Althoff, Linda Fauth, Marie and Sal’s Pizzeria, The Parlor House, Greenvillage Family Restaurant, Gettysburg College Catering, One Lincoln Food & Spirits, The Garryowen Irish Pub, Appalachian Brewing Co., Sue Bucher, Chez Cheri Cafe, Subarna’s Custom Catering, Bakewell Farms, McGrath’s Bakehouse, Hollabaugh Bros., Three Springs Fruit Farm, Weis Markets, Kennie’s Markets, Marcia Gregorio, Karin Guise, Sarah Stokely, Dona Maguire, Brenda Althoff, Biky Redman, Ken Althoff, JR Scappini, Brooke Mills, Beth Carmichael, Donna Kolaetis, Jill Althoff, and more!

Thanks to our bowl donors:

Dancing Pig Pottery, The Lion Potter, Starr Pottery and Bronze, Waldo’s & Company, Gettysburg College Ceramics Club, Fairfield Area High School National Art Honors Society, Littlestown ARea High School National Art Honors Society, Jen Cole, Pat Verderosa, Iron Blue Gully, Under the Horizon Pottery and Arts Studio.

Special thanks to:

Jen Cole, Tina Gebhart, Tammy Hoff, Center for Public Service, The Campus Kitchens Project, Emily Yardley, Alexandra Jones, Steve Koons, Dave French, Donna Kolaetis, JR and Bob Scappini, Ken Althoff, Sarah Stokely, Megan Shreve, Brenda and Donnie Althoff, Katie Mercer, Marc Jalbert, and the 70+ volunteers who made the event possible!