By Jason KUROSU

The Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church held their Empty Bowls charity event this past Saturday, Nov. 13. In exchange for a $15 donation, attendees received a handcrafted bowl to take home with them, and better yet, the bowl came with soup. About 400 people attended, some being CVUMC regulars, but many others came from other churches, the Community Center of La-Canada Flintridge, the Montrose Peace Vigil, and from around the community in general.

Much of the soup and bread offered at the event were donated by local restaurants throughout La Crescenta, La Cañada, Montrose and Glendale, while residents also did their part in crafting soups and gumbo and chowder for the event. The bowls themselves were also crafted by local residents, from church members to Crescenta Valley students to members of the Community Center throwing bowls for months in preparation for last Saturday. Various businesses and companies donated door prizes, gift certificates or other prizes for silent auction.

All in all, the event generated, from ticket sales, donations and silent auction items, $8,300. These proceeds will go to charity organizations such as Christians Concerned for Burma, which provides assistance to the Burmese in need after attacks from the Burmese Army and the cyclone which killed at least 138,000 in 2008; the Tujunga UMC Bailey Human Care Center, a mission center that provides food and clothes for the needy; and the Ecumenical Council of Pasadena Area Congregations Friends in Deed food pantry, which provides emergency services to over 150-175 low income and homeless.

Paige Eaves, pastor of the United Methodist Church, considers the event a success. As in the spirit of past Empty Bowls events, awareness of hunger was the primary issue at hand.

“Seems like we all need the spiritual pause at Thanksgiving to remember that 49 million Americans struggle to get food on the table,” Eaves said. “We have plenty of food in America. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

  CV United Methodist, Empty Bowls