The Open Door will hold its annual Empty Bowl fundraiser on Thursday, May 7, at the Cruiseport Gloucester, as demand for food assistance continues to rise across Cape Ann.
The event, themed “Anchored in Community,” will run from 4 to 7 p.m. and will raise funds for the organization’s core programs, including its food pantry, mobile markets and summer meals for children.
The fundraiser comes as the Gloucester-based nonprofit reports sustained increases in need. In 2025, The Open Door recorded a 36 percent increase in requests for food assistance, following similar 30 percent increases in each of the previous two years. Over the course of the year, the organization served 12,780 individuals from 5,718 households and distributed nearly 2.5 million pounds of food.
Founded in 1978, The Open Door serves residents across Cape Ann and surrounding communities, including Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Essex.
At the Empty Bowl event, attendees select a hand-painted bowl to take home, a longstanding symbol of the fundraiser’s focus on hunger awareness. The event also includes soup tastings, take-home meals, and family-oriented activities.
An online auction of artist-decorated bowls is running in conjunction with the event and will remain open through May 10. The auction features work from local artists and community contributors, including painters, elected officials and regional figures.
Organizers say proceeds from both the event and auction will support summer programming, a period when demand for food assistance often increases as school-based meal programs pause.
Tickets and additional information are available at foodpantry.org.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here