Written by Amanda Coers – The eighth annual Good Samaritan Ministries’ Empty Bowls Project will be held Thursday, March 30th, at the Brownwood Coliseum.

The Empty Bowls Project is a community-wide fundraising event, working to raise both money and awareness of hunger, locally and globally. Ninety percent of funds raised at this event will stay in Brown County to help the food-insecure. Good Samaritan Ministries tithes 10% from the project each year to various global hunger programs. This year 10% of funds raised will got to Heifer International. Heifer International’s mission is to work with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth.

 

Bowls have been sent out to local middle and high school art classes, as well as area nursing and assisted living facilities. Several local churches and community groups have also come together to paint bowls for the event. Placemats are being designed by local Elementary School students.

During the event, for a $10 ticket, attendees may choose a hand-painted ceramic bowl to take home and then dine on a simple meal of soup and water. The soup is donated by local restaurants and grocery stores. The empty bowl is yours to keep, as a reminder of those in our own community and around the world who have empty bowls and empty stomachs.

There will be live music at the event and a special “store” set up with items from the Good Samaritan Ministries’ Resale Store.

For the second year in a row, Good Samaritan Ministries’ will have a “celebrity auction” where attendees can bid on the hand-painted bowls of local well-known and well-loved community leaders. Brown County Sheriff Vance Hill and Brownwood Police Chief Terry Nichols are just two of the many community leaders having a friendly competition to see who’s bowl can raise the most during the auction, which begins at 6 p.m.

Right: Chief Terry Nichols’ bowl, and Left: Sheriff Vance Hill’s bowl

Empty Bowls t-shirts are also available for $15. Orders can be placed online and t-shirts are available for pick up at Good Samaritan Ministries’ headquarters, 305 Clark Street in Brownwood, with your receipt or printed confirmation email. Attendees are encouraged to wear their shirts to the Empty Bowls event to show additional support.

For more information about Good Samaritan Ministries and its programs, or to make a donation visit their website: www.goodsambwd.org