Tempe Community Action Agency and United Food Bank will present the 22nd Annual Tempe Empty Bowls fundraiser on Feb. 24, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Community Center Courtyard near the Tempe Public Library, at 3500 S. Rural Rd. The Empty Bowls fundraiser will combine art and community action to help combat food insecurity in Arizona. Arizonans are invited to check out and purchase the hundreds of bowls on display, enjoy live music and delicious soup, which is free with the purchase of a bowl.

Tempe Community Action Agency and United Food Bank work with Tempe Union High School students, teachers and local artists and the Edna Arts Center to create hundreds of handcrafted, decorative clay bowls for display and purchase during the event. Each bowl represents the hundreds of “empty” bowls in our community that United Food Bank and Tempe Community Action Agency aim to fill.

This special family-friendly fundraiser brings artists, emergency food providers, and neighbors together to make a huge impact on hunger in our community.” Said Deborah Arteaga, CEO of Tempe Community Action Agency. “We look forward to this event every year and hope to see you there!”

Proceeds from the Empty Bowls fundraiser will benefit local Arizona nonprofits Tempe Community Action Agency and United Food Bank. This beloved community tradition has historically gathered over 5,000 attendees to achieve an annual fundraising goal of $30,000.

“We are thrilled to once again partner with Tempe Community Action Agency for the annual Tempe Empty Bowls fundraiser,” said Jason Reed, CEO of United Food Bank. “The number of Arizonans struggling with food insecurity has seen a massive increase over the years. This fundraiser will provide community members in need with reliable access to everyday meals.”

The Empty Bowl Fundraiser traces its origins back to 1990, during which an impassioned Michigan High School arts teacher and student group sought a way to incorporate local, handmade art and resources to support a food drive to engage the community and amplify donor turnout. The students used their skills in a class-wide project to create a bowl for a fundraising meal with a lasting impact. Guests were served a simple meal of soup and bread and were invited to keep the bowl as a reminder of hunger in the world.

United Food Bank and Tempe Community Action Agency will be celebrating its 22-year anniversary of community outreach, welcoming new and returning participants to join the fun and combat the local food insecurity that affects individuals in their very own neighborhoods.

To learn more information about the Tempe Empty Bowls fundraiser and/or to make an online donation, please visit http://www.tempeemptybowls.org/.