Empty Bowls started as a way for the arts community to help people struggling to access food. The first Empty Bowls Waterloo Region event–led by the Waterloo Potters' Workshop–took place in 1998 and to date has provided more than 1.3 million meals.

Attendees of Empty Bowls select a bowl crafted by members of the Potters’ Workshop, in which they enjoy soups and other dishes served by local chefs and restaurants. After the event, attendees are encouraged to take their bowl home as a keepsake.

For every ticket sold, the Food Bank can provide 120 healthy meals for the nearly 73,000 people in Waterloo region who rely on food assistance programs.

Empty Bowls is organized collaboratively with Laurier’s Robert Langen Art Gallery.