Empty Bowl fundraiser to help feed Merced’s homeless

Organizers are putting the final touches to the fifth annual Empty Bowl Project in Merced, set for Feb. 4.

The soup dinner fundraiser is part of an international effort to fight hunger by raising awareness and money for the homeless.

This year’s Merced event will take place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 500 Buena Vista Drive. For a donation of $20, participants will be able to choose a colorful, hand-painted bowl with soup and bread. All proceeds will go to the D Street Homeless Shelter in Merced.

Jackie Martinez-Juarez, organizer and community block grant service coordinator with the Merced County Community Action Agency, said previous events have collected up to $5,000 for the shelter, which serves about 500 homeless people per year.

“The project is very symbolic,” Martinez-Juarez said. “It serves as a reminder of all the empty bowls in our community.”

About 185 bowls were hand-painted this year. Martinez-Juarez said the artwork is the result of painting sessions held last year. Most of the bowls were painted during October’s Art Hop.

The event, she said, also serves as an opportunity for local residents to learn about the different things they can do to fight homelessness in Merced County.

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Empty Bowl fundraiser to help feed Merced’s homeless."