Empty Bowls Runneth Over

Empty Bowls, the popular fundraiser for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, staged its 26th event at the new $20 million Sharehouse in Goleta, with a record 750 guests being shuttled by the Santa Barbara Airbus from the Hilton Garden Inn, a short distance away.

The 77,000-square-foot Foodbank property, which boasts 10 times the refrigerated storage space, opened in October and the sold-out fun food fest, which raised around $120,000, provided three varieties of soup – vegetarian minestrone, butternut squash, and gumbo – made by the Santa Barbara company, Food From the Heart, which provides nourishment to low-income residents.

Previously the liquid assets were made by various local restaurants, but that was considered too cumbersome and complicated to organize. Hence the new streamlined, shorter menu with scrumptious artisanal breads.

The concept, which includes a free ceramic bowl included in the ticket price, started in Wisconsin in 1991 and was brought to our Eden by the Beach in 1998 by ceramicist Danyel Dean, being held in recent years at the Page Youth Center.

“It is now all around the globe,” says Danyel proudly. “But I’m delighted to say Santa Barbara raises the most money of all of them!”

More than 230,000 people in the community are helped by the Foodbank and, to date, Empty Bowls has raised a hefty $2.5 million for the community.

Liquid assets, indeed.