"Empty Bowls" at Oakton, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 4

Hunger issues locally and around the world are the focus of "Empty Bowls" at Oakton, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 4 at Oakton Community College, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines. Professional and student potters from the Chicago area have contributed hundreds of unique bowls for this annual fundraiser.

For a donation of $12, participants select a distinctive handcrafted bowl that is theirs to keep, and receive a simple meal of soup and bread as a reminder that "someone's bowl is always empty." The event includes a raffle drawing for ceramic art works and a silent auction for select pieces of sculpture and jewelry. All proceeds benefit local food charities. More than 1,200 bowls were sold at last year's event, which raised some $20,000 to fight hunger.

Sponsored by the Ceramics Club at Oakton, Empty Bowls is a nonprofit, global movement that has raised millions of dollars for food banks, soup kitchens, and other meal programs. Entertainment will be provided by Patchouli, an acoustic duo whose songs about harmony and healing inspire the human spirit.

For more information, contact emptybowls@oakton.edu, or call (847) 635-1699.