St. Luke’s Episcopal Church will be seeing the return of an annual fundraiser on Saturday that will allow guests to walk away with a piece of pottery.

Any contributions that guests may give will be put back into the community to ensure that residents are able to get quality foods through vouchers for the Jamestown Farmers Market.

On Dec. 6 St. Luke’s will be holding the annual Empty Bowls fundraiser for the fourth year now, with the hopes of bringing people in for a good cause. The Rev. Luke Fodor stated that the event has been going on for over two decades at this point, yet only in the southern part of the county for the past few years. Fodor noted that the COVID-19 pandemic left too many products unmoved in the northern part of the county, leading to the idea for a new partnership to further expand into south county.

The event itself will consist of individuals coming to give a donation that will eventually go towards helping others in the community to meet their food needs. Local artists have worked tirelessly to provide thousands of bowls for the events. Each person that comes through and makes a donation will receive a handmade bowl, soup donated from the Labyrinth and the Ashville General Store, and drinks to wash down the meal. Fodor himself will even be contributing a gluten-free butternut squash, and some other treats made by the staff at St. Luke’s.

“New potters are often throwing pots and trying to hone their craft, and sometimes they have stuff that isn;t just perfect. But, this is a way for it to not go to waste,” said Fodor. “Others made pots just for the event specifically as a way of enhancing and increasing community support for agencies that work to tackle food insecurity in our community.”

Fodor made note of the significant day that this event will be coincidentally falling on this year, which is the feast of St. Nicholas. Fodor stated that St. Nicholas was a man of incredible generosity, even being the mythic inspiration behind the modern-day Santa Claus. St. Nicholas created a lasting impact, giving an entire time of year that recognizes charity and the importance of giving to those will less, said Fodor. This is a further reminder of the importance of giving to others, and collaborating in a small community.

“So that is really what the day is about, kind of in the spirit of both St. Nicholas but also the holiday spirit. We gather as individuals anonymously, but we know together we have a huge collective impact,” said Fodor. “So this is an ongoing kind of piece of work around the ability we have to make a difference, and at the time of year when we want to make a difference.”

The event will be held at St. Luke’s in the basement, will guests available to stop by between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. For any further information contact 716-483-6405.