(Joplin, MO) – Watered Gardens Ministries invites the community to join them on Tuesday, January 20 at Joplin Greenhouse & The Coffee Shop as they present checks to the organizations who are the beneficiaries of the 13th Annual Empty Bowls event.
Reminiscent of the “soup lines” from the mid 1930’s, Empty Bowls is a grass roots fundraiser brought to people in cities and towns around the world by artists and crafts people to care for and feed the hungry in their communities. Patrons purchase a handcrafted pottery bowl, enjoy a serving of soup, and then have an empty bowl to take home to remind them that somewhere, someone is hungry.
The 2025 Empty Bowls event was held at Suzanne’s Natural Foods in Joplin on November 13 and was very successful. This was the seventh year for Watered Gardens Ministries to host this event, which the community wholeheartedly embraced.
This year’s generous sponsors include:
- Mercy Hospital Joplin
- Southwest Missouri Bank
- Seward’s Insulation
- Binky Guy Textiles
- Jordan CPA Services
- Missouri Eye Institute
- Joplin Greenhouse & Coffee Shop
- Suzanne’s Natural Foods
- Satterlee Plumbing
- TownePlace Suites of Joplin
Local artists who made bowls included:
- Mark Strayer of North Star Pottery
- Jeff Jones and other artists of The Clay Cup
- Brent Skinner and other artists of Skinner Pottery
- Suzi Huntington of Sumaro Design House
- Chris Kinney of Claybeard Studio
- Josh Novak of Crowder College
- Debbie Miller & Judie Riggen of Walnut Springs Pottery
- The Artificer’s and Sandy Smith of Fort Scott, Kansas
- Daria Claiborne of Joplin
- Angel Brame of Dragonflies & Mud Pottery of Joplin
- Kristi Tucker of Pottery by KT
- Cathleen Bailey of Nighthawk Gallery & Studio in Neosho
- Stephanie Roy of Roy Pottery in Joplin
- Chad Keutzer of Freedom Frontier Enterprises
- Burt Bucher of Labette County Community College
- Patt Heinrich Olsen Studio of Nixa
- Alan Kirby of Hippy Clay of Pittsburg, Kansas
There were over ten restaurants and chefs who donated soup for patrons to enjoy on the day of the event.
The 2025 Empty Bowls event supported organizations that feed people and are 100% privately funded, including:
- We Care of the Four States
- Watered Gardens
- Hope Kitchen
The net proceeds will be distributed equally among these organizations.
About Watered Gardens Ministries:
Watered Gardens Ministries serves the local Church in its mission to help the poor. We envision the local Church boldly engaged with the poor and homeless relationally responsibly and compassionately for the transformation of life. Watered Gardens is a privately funded ministry in operation since June of 2000.
Reference:
Ruth Willoughby, Outreach Director
Watered Gardens Ministries
417.825.0536
ruth@wateredgardens.org
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