M State’s Empty Bowls marks 20 years supporting food program
M State’s Empty Bowls turned 20 in Fergus Falls, with nearly $100,000 raised for the Salvation Army food program. Lori Charest said it was her final year leading it.
A ceramic bowl, a bowl of soup and a $20 donation once again turned Legacy Hall into a direct line of support for Fergus Falls families as M State marked 20 years of Empty Bowls in Otter Tail County.
The annual fundraiser, held Thursday, April 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the M State Fergus Falls campus, asked guests for a suggested minimum donation of $20 and gave them a handmade ceramic bowl along with lunch. Students and local artists crafted the bowls, while this year’s reusable tote bags carried Earth Day 2026 artwork designed by M State printmaking instructor John Cox and alumni.
Over two decades in Fergus Falls, Empty Bowls has raised nearly $100,000 for the Salvation Army’s food program. That money helps stock the shelves and keep meals moving at the local Salvation Army operation, which provides shelf-stable groceries, breads, cereals, meat and other household necessities. The site also runs a hot community lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Lori Charest, the longtime ceramics instructor who organized the fundraiser, led the event for the last time this year before her retirement this spring. Her work has tied the campus art program to a basic local need, using handmade pottery and a shared meal to drive support for a food shelf that serves neighbors across Fergus Falls and the surrounding county.
M State said the 20th year gave the fundraiser added weight, not just as a celebration of art and community, but as a reminder that the need it addresses has not gone away. The event has grown through years of campus, business and nonprofit collaboration, with local soup and bread donors helping make the day work and keeping the focus on practical help rather than ceremony.
For Otter Tail County residents, the connection is direct: a seat at Empty Bowls helps pay for food and meals in Fergus Falls. With Charest stepping away after this year, M State will determine how the tradition continues, but the basic formula remains the same. A campus gathering, a handmade bowl and a modest donation have become a durable way to turn community attention into groceries and hot meals for area families.
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