ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester’s Catholic Charities Thursday hosted its 22nd “Empty Bowls” event, an annual fundraiser to fight hunger.
Guests enjoyed soups donated by local businesses and took home bowls handmade by local artists. Organizers said the government shutdown and the ongoing threat to SNAP benefits made this year’s fundraiser even more important.
“There certainly is an urgency, and we’re just doing the best we can to support the people that we have entrusted us with, you know, their goals, their lives, and working together to support them,” said Lori VanAuken, CEO of Catholic Charities Family and Community Services…