Empty Bowls fundraising event

Empty bowls will help lead to full plates — and financial assistance and other help for Howard County residents in need.

Columbia Association’s (CA) Columbia Art Center will again be hosting its “Empty Bowls” fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 6, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The Art Center is located at 6100 Foreland Garth in the Long Reach Village Center.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the Art Center or over the telephone. Guests receive their pick of one of 300 beautiful, one-of-a-kind handmade bowls made by Art Center students and faculty, and will also be entertained by live music, a studio demonstration, a silent art auction, raffles and light fare.

The proceeds of the event will be donated to FISH of Howard County Inc. For more than three decades, the agency has provided food, financial assistance, referral information and other aid to county residents with legitimate emergency needs, according to its website.

This is the fourth Empty Bowls event hosted at the Columbia Art Center. The first was held in 2008.

“We believe it is important to do our part in giving back to the community in whatever ways we can,” said Liz Henzey, director of the Columbia Art Center. “There is something really amazing about artists and community members coming together for a wonderful cause and sharing their talents and creativity to impact change.”

According to the FISH of Howard County website, the agency received more than 2,250 requests for assistance in a recent 12-month period.

“Those 2,000-plus calls translated into food supplies for approximately 29,000 nutritionally balanced meals delivered to the homes of hungry families, more than $40,000 in assistance for evictions, utility turnoffs or other crisis needs, and nearly $39,000 for prescription assistance,” the website said.

For more information, contact the Columbia Art Center at 410-730-0075.