SHARON, Pa. - In Mercer County where a local pottery studio is helping support a program to feed people who would otherwise go hungry.

 

The fundraising event is more timely than ever  as food costs keep going up.

 

Studio 83 a pottery and arts studio in downtown Sharon hosted a throw down where potters throw, trim and artists decorate the bowls. 

 

Next they are glazed, heated then cooled, and heated again.

 

"We are making bowls for the Food Warehouse's event later on in April. Today's goal is to make 150 bowls to donate to the cause." the owner of Studio 83 Walter Hermann said.

 

"We have 50 to 60 bowls in one and a half hour so it looks like we will be making more than that. It's fun to get together as a group and help our community," added Hermann. 

 

The handcrafted beautiful pottery bowls will be given out at the Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County's Empty Bowl fundraiser next year.

 

"We then enlist the help of our local restaurants to provide sop, bread, and we have some cookies. It's such an important event for our mission to help feed our hungry neighbors and friends," Becky Page Executive Director of the Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County said.

 

The non profit has seen 30 percent increase in the need for food. More families with children, more seniors, veterans and  people across the board.

 

"We've upped our senior food box participation to 470 boxes every month, and our military shared program is seeing record numbers of over 265 families throughout Mercer County. We are seeing new faces to hunger, and a lot of them. The people are so grateful. 

 

More grandparents are having children and grandchildren move back in with them so their food costs are increasing. 

 

"Each month we're helping upwards of 5,000 through our network of 30 member agencies and programs," Page added. 

 

Last year the Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County gave away 1.2 million pounds of food and the non profit organization expects to exceed that.

 

Ticket sales for the Empty Bowl Fundraiser at the Corinthian Event Center in Sharon will go on sale in January. The fundraiser helps feed more than 14,000 neighbors and friends in need.

 

 

Learn more at www.foodwarehouse.org or you can follow them Facebook @CommunityFoodWarehouse, on Instagram @communityfoodmc and on Twitter @CommunityFoodMC.