Community members and students were invited to a reception held at the Wichita Falls Museum of Arts for the 2013 Empty Bowls Ceramics Exhibit on Oct. 10.

Empty Bowls is a community-wide program to help the local Food Bank raise money for the growing hunger issue in Wichita Falls.

“Empty Bowls is such a diverse event because not only does the Food Bank help, but several other people and businesses in the community make this experience possible,” Paula Perkins, co-chair of Empty Bowls, said.

This event is part of an international program that has raised millions of dollars for the battle against starvation.

Co-chairs of the local event, Paula Perkins and Leslie Schaffner, started Empty Bowls in Wichita Falls in 2012.

“We received a really good response this year at the reception,” Perkins said. “The attendance was fabulous and we definitely had a little bit more people than last year.”

Last year several different departments of the community including the Steering Committee, the Food Bank, various donors and artists, local restaurants and several volunteers helped Perkins and Schaffner raise $64,139.

This year’s gallery featured 22 artists, however, 36 people helped with the entire process. These people helped throughout the development of this event by providing materials and providing staff for the reception and the luncheon.

An estimated 150 people attended the reception which showcased bowls created by different artists with various styles for the Empty Bowls program.

“All of the artists are fabulous,” Perkins said. “It is a neat experience because you spend so much time with them throughout the process that you are able to learn and recognize their styles.”

Attendees of the reception could purchase any of the bowls on display. A minimum of 50 percent of the proceeds went towards the Empty Bowls program.

“Not only does this event raise money for the Food Bank, but it also raises awareness to the community about the issue of hunger in Wichita Falls,” Perkins said.

This year, the co-chairs added a new aspect of the reception by providing a silent auction to raise even more proceeds for the program.

“The silent auction showcased some of the bowls thrown by the featured artists and it brought in almost 1,200 more dollars,” Perkins said.

The program continued with a luncheon at the museum on Oct. 15. The event allowed people from the community to enjoy soups, breads, drinks and desserts from local restaurants. Guests also enjoyed live music by 16-year-old pianist Lewis Warren, Jr.

At the end of the night every attendee took a bowl home as a souvenir from the event to remind them of their donation.

“This experience is unique because not many events allow you to leave with something,” Perkins said. “People can use them to eat with or as decoration. I have mine right on my desk.”

The Empty Bowls partnership with MSU allows the university to involve students with community-related issues such as hunger and to bring awareness.

“I had no idea that one in every six people in Wichita Falls is suffering from hunger,” Kaegan Engstrom-Garner, graduate in photography, said. “It’s so easy to get wrapped up in our own busy lives that we forget about what’s happening around us.”

Other students were also grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of the solution.

“It felt so good to go to the reception and be able to help a devastating cause such as hunger,” Hailey McIntosh, senior in respiratory care, said. “The bowls showcased were beautiful and so creative.”