Empty Bowls soup lunch will be held on Nov. 1

Family Sharing of Ozaukee County will host its seventh annual Empty Bowls event from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Ozaukee County Pavilion and the fairgrounds in Cedarburg.

The Empty Bowls event includes a soup luncheon with food from  local restaurants, raffles and prizes.

The Empty Bowls event draws an average of 250 attendees each year, with the proceeds going to Family Sharing’s food pantry.

“The mission of the event places an emphasis on ending hunger in Ozaukee County,” Executive Director Julie Hoover said. “Our goal this year is to ensure that families in Ozaukee County can have Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.

“We hope to raise funding for 600 Thanksgiving and 600 Christmas meals to brighten the holiday season for the families we support throughout the year.”

Family Sharing operates a food pantry on Overland Court in Grafton as well as an adjoining upscale resale shop that sells clothing and household goods to support the pantry.

In 2017, Family Sharing distributed more than 566,600 pounds of food to people in need, serving 4,773 children and 8,992 adults.

More than $69,000 worth of items donated to the resale shop were provided to pantry recipients, including approximately 268 new winter jackets for children, and more than 226 students received the school supplies they needed.

The cost of the Empty Bowls luncheon is $20 per person before Oct. 23 and $25 after Oct. 23.

To register for the Empty Bowls event, visit www.familysharingozaukee.org and click on the Empty Bowls registration form. Mail or drop off the form at Family Sharing of Ozaukee County Food Pantry, 1002 Overland Court, Grafton 53024.

For more information, call Julie Hoover or Jill Hepburn at 377-0634.