Click through these tabs for details on what to expect as a Meal Host
Create a Site Volunteer Committee with a Chairperson:
Your team will determine how many people you intend to feed and the date and time of your event. Consider the following:
- Who is going to serve?
- Who is going to help seek sponsors?
- Who is going to help sell tickets and how?
- Who will represent your meal hosting site at Empty Bowls Planning Sessions?
- What soups, desserts, and drinks will be available for the day of the event?
- How will your team organize volunteers for the day of the event?
Sell Tickets & Promote Empty Bowls:
Paper and Online Tickets will be available for each meal hosting site. The Empty Bowls Committee Member from your site will be responsible for the paper tickets or delegation of paper tickets to a volunteer.
Important* Your paper tickets will only be for your site.
Managing the paper tickets is a key assignment that demands a high level of care and thoughtful execution.
- The Empty Bowls Committee will supply your site with all posters, flyers, tickets, and printed materials to promote the event.
- All forms of payment may be collected as payment for tickets. For cards and virtual wallets like Apple Pay, Paypal, Venmo, etc. encourage purchases through our website.
- See information in the “Post-Event Reporting” tab for details on how to turn in money from the event and ticket sales.
Seek Sponsors:
The Empty Bowls Committee is asking that each meal site acquire or recommend 3 sponsors. The Sponsorship Chairman, Sandra Simms, is available to meet with recommended sponsors if desired.
- The Empty Bowls Sponsorship Packet will be provided with hard copies of brochures and sponsorship forms for in-person conversations regarding sponsoring. You can also share our sponsorship information with potential sponsors by sending them a link to our website, where a sponsorship form is available on the front page for their convenience.
Ceramic Bowls & Printed Items:
Bowl Painting Parties should be held no later than January 10, 2026.
- A flyer with bowl painting information will be available, including how to schedule the parties.
- You can also access information on bowl painting parties on our website. Just navigate to the “Painting Parties” page in the top menu.
- Reach out to the Bowl Painting Chairman, Ken Shipley, with any questions.
Meal Details
Soups: Several soup options should be provided for the correct number of people you are feeding. You may offer whatever number of options you choose.
- Please make sure to use safe cooking practices & temperatures! This is especially true if the soups are made ahead, cooled and warmed back up. We don’t want anything to spoil! The ideal serving temperature for soup is between 136°F and 162°F (57°C and 72°C). This range balances food safety and optimal enjoyment.
Drinks & Ice: water, sweet & unsweet tea, lemonade are all popular drink options. Ice may be donated.
Bread or Crackers: These may be donated by a business or bakery or provided by members of your congregation or organization.
Soup Toppings *optional: An example of this would be cheese for potato soup or chili, but it is not required.
Desserts: preferably “finger desserts” i.e. cookies, brownies, rice crispy treats. These can be homemade, but we just ask that they be wrapped or bagged ahead of time so guests can just grab them and go. (Utilizing”finger food desserts” helps cut down on the number of utensils and plates needed). Another serving option is to have servers using gloves and tongs.
Bowls, Napkins, Cups & Utensils: Each meal site is responsible for providing these. “To go” bowls, plates may be offered by the Empty Bowls Clarksville Committee.
Brown Paper Bags & Tissue Paper: These are used for the ceramic bowls that your guests will take home with them.
Projector & Screen: There will be a Sponsor PowerPoint that should be shown during the meal on a projector screen or TV, whatever is available to you.
- It won’t have any sound and can simply be put on loop so you can start it and leave it. (Just don’t forget to turn off the “sleep mode” on your device)
- The PowerPoint will be provided to the EB Committee before the event.
Prep & Volunteer Details
- EB Sponsor Fliers should be taped to doors or framed on check-in table for good visibility
- Check-in Table & Volunteers: 2-3 volunteers
- to check people in and briefly explain where to go and how to get their ceramic bowl.
- Physical Ticket: Volunteer takes the EB ticket and tears off the larger portion to keep and returns the smaller portion to the guest to turn in for his or her bowl.
- Online Ticket: Some guests may bring a printed online ticket/receipt, and they should tell you what name the tickets are under for you to mark off.
- Some sites may be willing to take payment at the check-in table. This is totally up to each site and how you can accommodate “extras” if you choose.
- It’s a good idea to have a change pouch or box at the check-in table for “at the door” purchases (if allowed) and to have change and a means to store payments.
- Servers: This will depend on how your site is set up and how you want to serve your soups/ desserts/ bread/ drinks. (This is totally up to you). Youth groups with leader oversight can do a wonderful job at this!
- It’s a good idea to have someone keeping an eye on the tables and keeping them clean and tidy as guests continue to be served.
- Bowl Table Volunteers: 2-3 volunteers
- Set up a table or more to display the ceramic bowls. They make a beautiful presentation and add to the atmosphere of the event.
- Volunteers collect ticket stubs from the guest and allow the guest to choose the bowl of their liking.
- Once the bowl or bowls have been chosen, volunteers can wrap them in tissue paper and put them in a brown paper bag or gift bag.
- Tables for Guests: Feel free to “decorate” the tables however you’d like. Doll it up or go super simple, it doesn’t matter! We do ask that you place the “EB tent cards” on the tables.
- Food/ Serving Tables: This is also up to you. A helpful suggestion is that you have some signage with the soup names so that guests can read what kinds of soups are available and move through the line more quickly.
Clean up Committee: you’ll want one!
Following your event, a check or checks should be turned in to Dawn Thomack. Checks may be written out to Empty Bowls or to an individual at your church/organization if you plan to give Dawn one check for the total.
Checks may be mailed or hand delivered. If any are mailed, they need to be mailed ATTN: Dawn Thomack, Empty Bowls Treasurer, Grace Lutheran Church 2041 Madison Street Clarksville, TN 37043. If they are hand delivered, they may be taken to Grace Lutheran Church (see above address).
If you have secured “In Kind” donations for your event, please let the Empty Bowls Committee know.
- It may be helpful to meet together with your Meal Hosting Committee to evaluate your event.