Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee hosts 22nd annual empty bowls luncheon

BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - The event was hosted at the Manatee Performing Arts Center on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with over 400 people in attendance. Those attending paid $30 for general admission ticks and $35 for general admission on the day of the event. The tickets included a unique ceramic bowl, a selection of soups, fresh bread, and dessert. A VIP ticket was also offered for $50, and $60 for a day of the event, which allowed early access to a special selection of bowls. All of the proceeds go directly to nutrition and hunger programs in Manatee County.

“Besides people who are homeless, there are people that are just struggling to pay for these increased costs. Whether it’s the cost of food or the cost of their increased rent, so this is a critical event today,” said President and CEO of Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, Maribeth Phillips.

The fundraiser helps The Food Bank of Manatee which is a program of Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee. The food bank provides food to over 80 agencies, pantries, and soup kitchens, and directly distributes food to the community. A total of ten restaurants, and Manatee Technical College, donated a variety of soups with volunteers to label the soup. One of those restaurants is Mean Deans Local Kitchen.

“We’re a community restaurant, we’re not on 41, we’re not on the island, we’re a community restaurant,” said Dean Donnelly, the Chef of Mean Deans Local Kitchen. “This is what we should do every opportunity we get, you know, help other people.”

There will be another Empty Bowls event on Main St. in Lakewood Ranch on Friday, 11/3/2022. That event will have 14 varieties of soup donated.