Athens-Limestone Empty Bowls Project

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, donating restaurants, potters, artists, and volunteers, the 2026 Empty Bowls luncheon raised $20,000 for organizations addressing hunger in Athens and Limestone County.

Pictured:
Seated: Donna Townsend, Beyond Blessed; Angie McElyea, Hearts for Homeless
Back: Emily Clem, Empty Bowls; Deanna Fike, Community Table of Athens - formerly LCCI; Cady Stewart, Rotary/ The Full Tummy Project of Athens and Limestone County; Julie McNeese, Empty Bowls

Tomorrow is the big day! A huge thank you to our sponsors, soup donors, potters, and artists!

I am in day-after mode! Lacy Beth took the pictures and did a great job of showing how many people were involved in the Empty Bowls event yesterday. I enjoyed going through these pictures and I hope you will too. Taking orders, runners to fill those orders, soup scoopers, bread wrappers, dishwashers! Thanks to Rotary whose volunteers went to 14 restaurants to pick up soup and TRAIL whose members served as runners. Thanks to restaurants, the generous sponsors, all the volunteers, and members of the committee who put it all together.