Loveland's Empty Bowls fundraiser has sold out its morning seating for the fifth annual luncheon benefiting the LIFE Food Pantry.
The event takes place Sept. 26 at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. Tickets for the 1 p.m. seating remain available at $25 each. The 11 a.m. seating is full.
Each guest receives soup, bread, dessert and a beverage donated by local restaurants, plus a handcrafted pottery bowl made by a local artist to take home. Raffle baskets featuring items from area businesses will also be available.
Every dollar raised goes to the LIFE Food Pantry, the nonprofit said in its event announcement published Sept. 10. Over four previous events, Empty Bowls has raised nearly $65,000 for the pantry.
The Loveland Inter Faith Effort (LIFE) Food Pantry has served the 45140 ZIP code since 1988. The independent nonprofit receives no federal, state or local government funding and puts 89 cents of every dollar donated toward direct services, according to the organization's website.
In the first half of 2026, the pantry served 8,967 neighbors, according to its LinkedIn page. In May alone, it assisted 494 households totaling 1,499 people: 700 adults, 550 children and 249 seniors. That month, 37 new families representing 96 individuals sought help for the first time.
Executive Director Carol Rountree, who took the role in December 2025, leads the pantry's operations. The Loveland Beacon reported her appointment last year.
Empty Bowls began in 1990 as a student art project and has grown into an international grassroots movement where communities host simple meals to raise money for local hunger-relief organizations.
The City of Loveland lists the event on its official calendar. Tickets for the 1 p.m. seating at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church are $25.
Upcoming community events
- Sept. 17 — Loveland homecoming parade closes downtown streets
- Sept. 26 — LIFE Empty Bowls luncheon, 1 p.m. seating, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, $25
- Oct. 5 — Loveland brush pickup and leaf collection begins
