Local potters are shaping the last of the ceramic bowls to sell at the fourth annual Empty Bowls fundraiser to benefit the impoverished on Saturday, May 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the United Methodist Church at 6063 La Jolla Blvd. Participants can choose between hundreds of donated ceramic bowls formed in all shapes and colors, and fill them with soup donated from area restaurants for $20 each. Organizers hope to exceed the $1,300 raised last year. “Each time we use the bowl that we buy, we are reminded of those folks in our community who don’t have anything to fill their bowl,” said potter and event spokeswoman Giovanna Iaffaldano. Proceeds will benefit the nonprofit Third Avenue Charitable Organization (TACO), which feeds the homeless and working poor. TACO has operated out of downtown for the past 34 years. Potters from 40 different organizations have been shaping bowls throughout the year for Empty Bowls, including students from The Bishop’s School and the University of California, San Diego Craft Center. Soup will be donated from area restaurants including Beaumont’s, The Fishery, The Cottage, French Gourmet and George’s at the Cove. Potters Lynn Render and Lynn Zimmer have organized the event for the past four years. A Michigan high school art teacher started Empty Bowls as a fundraiser for the hungry in 1990, which has since grown into an international fundraiser.








