18th Annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser To Benefit Table Of Grace Food Pantry

Attendees can enjoy a simple meal and take home a handcrafted bowl to support the local food pantry.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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The 18th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser supporting the Table of Grace food pantry is set for Wednesday, March 25, at Grace Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall. For a $25 donation, attendees can enjoy a simple meal of soup, bread and water, along with live entertainment, and take home a handcrafted bowl created by local artisans and University of Alabama ceramics students.

Why it matters

The fundraiser is crucially important to the Table of Grace food pantry's ability to fulfill its mission of serving around 900 households each month through a dignity-focused, market-style, client-choice model that reduces waste.

The details

Proceeds from the Empty Bowls event will benefit Table of Grace, a local food pantry that operates on a dignity-focused, client-choice model. Several local restaurants are donating at least two gallons of their signature soups, with additional offerings prepared by church members and volunteers. Options will include vegan and vegetarian soups. Entertainment will be provided by local musicians Jil Chambliss and Dan Vogt of traditional Irish-English-Scottish trio The Vulcan Eejits.

  • The 18th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser is set for Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
  • The event will take place at Grace Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall.

The players

Table of Grace

A market-style, client-choice food pantry that serves around 900 households each month.

Steven Thomas

The Executive Director of Table of Grace.

Brooke Peterson

The Board President of Table of Grace.

Jil Chambliss

A local musician who will provide entertainment at the event.

Dan Vogt

A local musician who will provide entertainment at the event as part of the traditional Irish-English-Scottish trio The Vulcan Eejits.

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What they’re saying

“We serve around 900 households each month, so this fundraiser is crucially important to our ability to fulfill our mission.”

— Steven Thomas, Executive Director (Patch.com)

“We hope taking home an empty bowl can serve as a reminder to everyone that many in our community go hungry.”

— Brooke Peterson, Board President (Patch.com)

What’s next

The 18th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser supporting the Table of Grace food pantry will take place on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at Grace Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall.

The takeaway

The Empty Bowls fundraiser is a crucial event for the Table of Grace food pantry, which operates on a dignity-focused model to serve around 900 households each month. The event allows the community to support the pantry's mission while also raising awareness about hunger in the local area.