Cornwall Ontario – The idea behind the new Agape Centre fundraising event is that after sharing a meal, everyone will go home with a beautiful but empty pottery bowl – serving as a reminder of those in our community who go hungry.

Agapè is bringing the popular fundraiser to Cornwall for the first time on Sunday November 13.

Event-goers get to choose a unique handcrafter bowl, fill it with gourmet soup by local chefs paired with a fresh bun and apple crisp for dessert. After eating the meal with friends, each guest takes home their one-of-a-kind bowl, all for a $30 ticket.

“This fundraiser brings people together to share in a hearty meal, so it dovetails nicely with our mission,” said Johanne Gauthier, Operations Manager at the Agapè Centre.

Ann Marlin, local potter of over 40 years, and founder of Marlin Orchards, volunteered to gather 100 bowl donations from local and area artisans, each piece valued at $25-$40 each.

“Empty Bowls is a project that is quite familiar to potters. They are very earthy people and close to nature using natural resources to make a bowl, which symbolizes the importance of the work of the Agapè Centre to keep the bowls filled,” said Marlin. “The response of the potters in my recent show was tremendous! They were all so enthusiastic and generous.”

Gourmet soups will be prepared and generously donated by local chefs Tony Lakroix of Love, Love Food, and Luc McCabe of NAV Centre, along with the Agapè Centre’s chef, Ludwik Piotrowski.

The event takes place Sunday November 13 upstairs at the Agapè Centre, with three sittings: 11am, 12pm and 1pm. There will also be a silent auction.

There are only 90 tickets available, and they can be purchased at Scotiabank (690 Brookdale Ave., Cornwall). The bank has partnered with the food bank, and will be matching ticket sales, turning every ticket sale into a $60 donation to the charity.

Proceeds from the event will help the local food bank continue to serve the more than 500 families a month, and the soup kitchen to provide more than 100 nutritious meals 6 days a week.

For more details, join the Facebook event at: www.facebook.com/centreagapecenter/events