by Frank Lee
operations@thenewsleaders.com
Tanya Finken of Kay’s Kitchen in St. Joseph knows what it’s like to be hungry like most people, but she decided to do something about it.
The owner and operator of the eating establishment donated three gallons of freshly made beef barley soup to the Empty Bowls fundraiser on March 20 – something she has done before.
“I do a lot of this for different organizations when they call and ask,” she said, “and more than anything, it’s to raise awareness of local hunger and anything you can do to help out is amazing.”
Empty Bowls is an annual soup-feed benefit and silent auction featuring unique pottery, wooden bowls and gift cards to businesses and restaurants.
“We just did the soup of the day, so whatever’s made fresh that morning is what we sent over,” Finken said of the donation from Kay’s Kitchen in St. Joseph.
The five-hour event at Calvary Community Church in St. Cloud included four soup stations with donated soup, bread, beverages and desserts from local restaurants, like G-Allen’s in Sartell, and Jimmy’s Pourhouse and Manea’s Meats in Sauk Rapids.
Those at the fundraising event to feed the hungry also could take home a decorated handmade bowl, several of which were made available hourly, and the children enjoyed the face-painting and three stages of entertainment.
“Empty Bowls was put together originally to help people understand that somewhere, every day, someone’s bowl is empty,” said the Rev. Carol Jean Smith, pastor of Place of Hope Ministries in St. Cloud, which has been a part of the bowl-based awareness campaign for about a decade even though Empty Bowls dates back further.
Tickets entitled participants to sample as many soups as they would like.
“If your basic needs are not met, you can’t function at all,” Smith said. “If you have food, if you have shelter and you feel safe, then you can access your gifts and talents a little more than when you’re putting all your energy into meeting your basic needs.”
The Rev. Carol Jean Smith, pastor of Place of Hope Ministries in St. Cloud, is appreciative of the soup and other items donated from places like Kay’s Kitchen in St. Joseph, G’Allen’s Restaurant and Sports Bar in Sartell, and Jimmy’s Pour House and Manea’s Meats in Sauk Rapids for the Empty Bowls soup-feed benefit on March 20 at Calvary Community Church in St. Cloud.
Volunteers serve soup and other items donated from places like Kay’s Kitchen in St. Joseph, G’Allen’s Restaurant & Sports Bar in Sartell, and Jimmy’s Pour House and Manea’s Meats at the Empty Bowls soup-feed benefit on March 20 at Calvary Community Church in St. Cloud.
Soup and other items were donated from places like Kay’s Kitchen in St. Joseph, G’Allen’s Restaurant & Sports Bar in Sartell, and Jimmy’s Pour House and Manea’s Meats in Sauk Rapids for the Empty Bowls soup-feed benefit on March 20 at Calvary Community Church in St. Cloud. Those who attended the fundraiser were allowed to take home a handmade bowl.
Kay’s Kitchen Chef Dan Kuebelbeck ladles out some soup at the St. Joseph eatery to server Brenda Heaton. Kay’s Kitchen donated three gallons of soup to the March 20 Empty Bowls soup-feed benefit and silent auction at Calvary Community Church in St. Cloud.
