Church raises funds to feed the hungry

LA CRESCENTA — The Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church on Saturday is hosting its third annual Empty Bowls: Hope Not Hunger event, which raises funds for three organizations dedicated to feeding the hungry.

“This season reminds us of being grateful for what we have, but also lets us be able to give back,” said the church’s pastor, Paige Eaves.

Last year’s event raised about $8,000, which was donated to the Ecumenical Council of Pasadena Area Congregations’ Friends in Deed House; Tujunga United Methodist Church’s Bailey Human Care Center; and Christians Concerned for Burma, which offers medical treatment and food to tribes displaced by the Burmese government, she said.

Each year, local community members spend about five months hand-making bowls, which are used and sold for $15 at the church’s event from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the 2700 block of Montrose Avenue.

This year, volunteers made 600 bowls, which Eaves said she hopes will sell out. Crescenta Valley High School students also participated in the event this year and made about 100 bowls, she added.

After buying a bowl, patrons can select a variety of soups made by local restaurants.

“Most of the time, people spend more time picking out a bowl that fits their personality than picking out the soup,” Eaves said.

Once they have picked out a soup, they will have a chance to settle down and enjoy music from a live band.