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Syracuse

Interreligious Food Consortium Held Empty Bowls Fundraiser

The annual Syracuse event raised funds for local food insecurity by selling handmade ceramic bowls for $25 each.

Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Philanthropy

A collection of handmade ceramic bowls sit on a wooden table, emphasizing the artisanal craft supporting local community relief.
The Interreligious Food Consortium raised funds for Syracuse-area food insecurity efforts during its annual Empty Bowls event on Friday. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Interreligious Food Consortium hosted its annual Empty Bowls fundraiser at the Everson Museum of Art on Friday. Participants purchased handmade ceramic bowls for $25 to support efforts to combat food insecurity.

Why it matters

The fundraiser directly supports the Interreligious Food Consortium's mission to address food insecurity in the Syracuse area. By providing soup and handmade crafts, the event encourages community participation in local poverty relief.

The event featured over 1,500 decorated ceramic bowls, with 1,100 of those supplied by Clayscapes Pottery Inc. Attendees paid $25 per bowl to support the organization.

The players

Interreligious Food Consortium

This organization has been working to provide food relief in the Syracuse area since 1982.

Everson Museum of Art

This museum is a prominent cultural institution located in Syracuse that hosts community events.

Clayscapes Pottery Inc.

This local pottery studio provides ceramic supplies and artistic support for community projects.

Syracuse University

This major research university in New York has faculty and students who contribute to local charitable initiatives.

The details

Local restaurants donated soup for the event, while Syracuse University faculty and students joined local pottery studios to create the collection of ceramic bowls. The Everson Museum of Art also facilitated community involvement by hosting a pre-event Decorate-A-Thon.

Timeline

  1. The Interreligious Food Consortium was founded in 1982.

  2. The organization has held annual Empty Bowls events since 2004.

  3. A Decorate-A-Thon was hosted on Sept. 11, 2026.

  4. The Empty Bowls fundraiser took place on Sept. 25, 2026.

Market Landscape

This fundraiser follows the model of the 1990 Empty Bowls event in Michigan, which established a national standard for using grassroots art to address local food insecurity. The success of this format continues to inspire similar philanthropic efforts across the country.

Residents can contribute directly to local food insecurity prevention by purchasing handmade goods at future community fundraisers. These events provide a low-cost way for individuals to impact local hunger relief while supporting regional artisans.

The takeaway

Supporting local charities through community art events provides tangible resources for neighbors facing food insecurity. These efforts show that collaborative projects between students, artists, and local nonprofits can address urgent social needs.

Further reading

For more on charitable initiatives in the region, visit Philanthropy.

Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Orange.

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Do you believe community-led fundraisers are an effective way to address food insecurity in your area?