2026 Empty Bowls: Thank you for the generosity of all who participated. This event raised $25,241.80 for the Food Bank of East Alabama!

Empty Bowls is a grassroots movement by local artists and craftspeople to raise money to feed the hungry in their communities. Empty Bowls supports food-related charitable organizations worldwide and has raised millions of dollars to help end hunger.

The Opelika-Auburn Empty Bowls Fundraiser began in 2014 when Sherie Spain, director of the pottery department at the Opelika Recreation Center, read about the event in Michigan. “I contacted the Food Bank and they liked the idea,” said Sherie. “I thought it would be good to get both Opelika and Auburn pottery communities working together.”

Opelika and Auburn potters alternate hosting the event each year, which has raised over $100,000 for the Food Bank of East Alabama.

For more information:

Event host City of Auburn: contact Emillie Dombrowski by email edombrowski@auburnal.gov or phone (334-501-2944)

Event host City of Opelika: contact Richarde Talbot by email rtalbot@opelika-al.gov or phone (334-705-5558)

We appreciate your support for this very important cause because “NO CHILD DESERVES AN EMPTY BOWL.”