(PHOTOS) Empty Bowls Helps Fill a Need

For the 11th year in a row, the clattering of empty soup bowls was a sweet sound for the .

The annual Empty Bowls event was held last Thursday at the . Empty Bowls began nationally in 1990 as a grassroots project of two high school art teachers in Michigan. Students were asked to make ceramic bowls to be used at a luncheon. Guests were invited to choose a bowl, were fed a simple meal of soup and bread, and made a donation to the local food shelf.

STEP continued its tradition of holding two events every year—one over the lunch hour, and one during dinner. I was fortunate enough to be able to volunteer as a lunchtime soup server, dishing out some beef stew from . It was a treat to see so many smiling faces, enjoying a good meal for a good cause.

This year's Empty Bowls event raised nearly $12,500, which doesn't include yet-to-be-tallied matching funds and sponsorships. That's about $2,000 more than last year.

We've uploaded a few photos above—and there are more on STEP's Facebook page—but we also want to see any pics you snapped. Simply click the "Upload Photos and Videos" button to share.