The fifth annual Ogden Empty Bowls charity event is moving to a new venue and will be held on Nov. 6 from 6-9 p.m. at The Monarch. According to a Oct. 29 report, the event will run in conjunction with the First Friday Art Stroll to benefit the Weber Cares Food Pantry.
Monica Linford, an organizer of Ogden Empty Bowls and a Weber State University professor, said the event will include food and live music. The evening will also feature a section memorializing the late WSU professor Dr. Judy Elsley.
Linford noted that this will be the first year the event operates without the support of grant funding. The main contributor of bowls for sale is Linford's honors course, Words and Wares, which is part of Weber State's Community Engaged Learning Program. Students in the course write creative nonfiction essays and complete pottery projects that complement those essays.
All proceeds from the event will go toward the Weber Cares Pantry located on the WSU campus. Linford, who also serves as an academic advisor, noted that food insecurity is a significant issue on college campuses.
While nationwide reports suggest students experience food insecurity at rates between 30% and 40% depending on the institution, a report from Weber State indicates that a little over 30% of its students experience food insecurity while attending college. Linford stated that the food pantry is vital for the campus community.
Empty Bowls is described by Linford as an international grassroots movement where potters gather to sell bowls to benefit food charities. The event held its first iteration in Ogden in 2022 after Linford was inspired by a similar event in Salt Lake City. Linford said the event has helped create community within Ogden as support from local potters has grown.
