Empty Bowls to return in 2026

In support of local potters and restaurants impacted by Hurricane Helene, the Hunger and Health Coalition and Watauga High School has chosen to postpone their annual Empty Bowls event until 2026.

Empty Bowls is a community staple and longstanding partnership with art students at Watauga High School, local potters to provide pottery, and local restaurants to provide soup for patrons to enjoy. Typically, restaurants donate soup for the event, local potters donate their work, and Watauga High School students create clay bowls to raise funds to support the mission of Hunger and Health Coalition – transforming our community’s hunger into health.

Due to Hurricane Helene, many potters lost revenue, their studios, and the presence of a major clay source. High Water Clay was a clay and glaze supplier in Asheville in the River Arts District used by many local potters, and due to Helene is no longer available to provide clay. Watauga High School art teachers, Dacia Trethewey and Sam Brown, said that potters are having to pivot their clay supply, which takes time and experimentation for their craft.

Additionally, the Hunger and Health Coalition understands that restaurants were also affected and may need more time to recover. The Hunger and Health Coalition is continuing to meet the additional community needs brought on by Helene and understands the hardships our community has and continues to endure.

It is the goal of Hunger and Health Coalition and Watauga High School to bring Empty Bowls back next year. Save the date for Empty Bowls on Saturday, March 21, 2026. If you are a potter looking to support Western, NC by donating bowls for next year’s event, contact Dacia Tretheway at tretheweyd@wataugaschools.org or Sam Brown at browns@wataugaschools.org. For other ways to be involved with the event or Hunger and Health Coalition, contact Alyssa Medina, Hunger and Health Coalition’s Volunteer and Events Coordinator at alyssamedina@hungerandhealthcoalition.com

We’ll be using this time to continue providing food and health services to the community. Community members who need food, nutrition counseling or medication assistance can contact us at (828) 262-1628. More information about HHC services can be found at www.hungerhealthcoalition.com.