Austin Empty Bowl Project: Preparations underway

Austin's empty bowl project is back for another year, continuing a tradition of giving back to the community. On Tuesday, leaders from the Central Texas Food Bank and Meals on Wheels gathered at Austin Pottery to launch this year's campaign. Fox 7's Alec Nolan has the story. The Austin Empty Bowl Project returns this November for its 30th annual event. A chance for the people of Austin to participate in a wonderful opportunity to give money back to Central Texas Food Bank and Meals on Wheels. Some of you may know the drill, but for those who do not, the project is an effort by Austin area potters to fight hunger. Every Sunday before Thanksgiving, local potters donate bowls which are filled with some of the best soups in town from local restaurants. But this week, some of the event's leaders are kicking things off by making a bowl at Austin Pottery. The CEOs of the Meals on Wheels and the head of the Central Texas Food Bank, they're here and they're learning how to make a bowl. They're what we call throwing a bowl on a wheel. In 2025, Austin Empty Bowl raised $156,000, a number they're looking to surpass this fall. Well, this is an event that everyone can participate in. For just $30, people can get a bowl, give it as a gift, but also get some delicious soup. And it's something that makes people feel part of a community. I think Austin is a hotbed of creative energy and different ways to tackle problems. An empty bowl is a perfect illustration of hunger in our community, and it doesn't have to be. We have enough bowls, and we have enough resources to fill those bowls so no bowl goes empty. Mark your calendars for the main event on Sunday, November 22nd from 11 to 3 p.m. at the Central Texas Food Bank to join in on the fun and make a difference. You get to pick out a handcrafted bowl, fill it with soup donated by restaurants, wonderful, wonderful restaurants that have donated their soups from around the city. And then you just get to enjoy a really fun day of community with other people.