BOISE, Idaho — With roughly 13% of Idahoans facing food insecurity, the Idaho Foodbank says the need for support is rising — and this weekend’s annual Empty Bowls fundraiser brought hundreds of people to the Boise Towne Square Mall to help meet that demand.
The two-day event, which has been held for nearly 30 years, features handcrafted and hand-painted bowls created and donated by community members. Each bowl sold symbolizes the Idaho families struggling to fill their own.
“We’ve seen that percentage of people facing food insecurity in the state go up in recent years,” said Corinne Hughes, the Idaho Foodbank’s community engagement specialist. She said the organization now serves about 216,000 Idahoans every month, a number driven higher by inflation and the recent government shutdown…