5th Annual Empty Bowls:
A Benefit for Bidwell Riverside Center
Thursday, November 4th 6:00 PM | Temple of the Performing Arts
Bidwell Riverside Center's Empty Bowls event seeks to shed light on the food insecurity faced by our neighbors, and raise funds to support Bidwell Riverside Center's mission to increase stability and self-sufficiency in our community.
Our Food & Clothing Pantry, the largest-serving food pantry in Iowa, helped just under 17,000 members of the community in 2020, the most we've ever served in our 128-year history. Access to food, toiletries, diapers, baby food, formula, clothing, and household items is vital to Iowans living in poverty, and the need is not subsiding.
Each attendee will select a hand-made ceramic bowl upon entering, a gift to take home and remind them to fill the bowls of others as often as they can. The event includes live music, hors d’ouevres, dinner, dessert, and a cash bar.
Tickets are $50 each - to have early access to choose your bowl, you can purchase a VIP ticket for $100.
Through your support, we can fill the bowls of those who are experiencing food insecurity.
If you are uncomfortable attending an in-person event, you can join us live on Facebook at approximatley 7:00 PM to hear a short overview of our programs and recognize our Volunteer of the Year and Community Partner of the Year. We will also have a few bowls on our online auction site that can be purchased and shipped to you!
We are very fortunate to have the support of many talented local artists who donated their handmade bowls for our event: Marion Nehmer, Greg Lamont, Katy Flynn, Dowling Catholic High School Ceramics Class, Creative Artists’ Studios of Ames, and the Des Moines Art Center.
Photos from 2019's event.
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Our sincerest thanks go to our sponsors for this year's Empty Bowls event: Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, Great Western Bank, Bankers Trust, and Principal.

Photos from 2019's event: