Help Empty Some Bowls

The Dish: Empty Bowls
The Date: Dec 1st – Dec 7th
The Place: Pita Jungle – Valley Wide Locations
The Cause: Feed the Hungry

Pita Jungle Invites Guests to Feed the Hungry this Holiday Season with “Empty Bowls”

100% of Proceeds of Artisan Bowls Sold at Pita Jungle Dec. 1-7 Benefit Waste Not

Pita Jungle is hosting an “Empty Bowls” event in which guests can purchase hand-crafted clay bowls created by local artisans this holiday season to benefit Waste Not, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has been feeding the hungry in the Valley for 25 years. All 14 metro-Phoenix Pita Jungle locations will sell a limited quantity of Empty Bowls from Dec. 1 through Dec. 7, with 100 percent of proceeds benefitting Waste Not.

The Empty Bowls – handmade, custom bowls created by Arizona Clay Association artists – will be sold for $15 each at Pita Jungle. Guests who purchase a bowl for $15 will receive their choice of a small order of hummus, or a serving of soup, for dine-in or carryout. The bowls can be a meaningful, one-of-a-kind gift this holiday season or a new dish to grow your personal collection.

“We are proud to be a part of the Empty Bowls movement here in Arizona and happy to extend to our guests the opportunity to feed our community’s hungry,” said Bassel Osmani, co-founder and co-owner of Pita Jungle. “Hunger remains one of the most prevalent challenges in our state. The heart of our brand is all about supporting local. With Empty Bowls, we not only get to support local artisans, we also get to support our fellow neighbors in need this holiday season.”

Every dollar given to Waste Not feeds six people in Arizona. Waste Not delivered more than two million pounds of food last year to those who needed it most.

The Pita Jungle location in Mesa has participated in the annual Empty Bowls fundraiser held at Mesa Community College for several years. Given Pita Jungle’s heart for the cause and continued success with the fundraiser, the brand decided to take the initiative companywide this year.

$500,000 has been raised for Waste Not through various Empty Bowls programs with the Arizona Clay Association, since the partnership began 24 years ago. These funds assist the organization in its daily operations, which make it possible to transfer 7,000 pounds of food to families in need throughout the Valley each day. The organization alleviates local hunger by collecting excess perishable food that would otherwise go to waste, and delivering it to a network of agencies and organizations that feed the hungry.

Arizona Clay artists donate thousands of bowls to be sold at Empty Bowls events each year to ensure Waste Not receives 100 percent of the proceeds. Over $15,000 was raised at its 24th annual main event held this past October at The Arizona Center.

To learn more about Pita Jungle, its locations and The Art of Eating Healthy®, visit pitajungle.com/locations. For the latest updates, follow Pita Jungle on Facebook, Twitter (@pitajungle), and Instagram; follow the Empty Bowls event at Pita Jungle on social media with #PitaJungle #EmptyBowls.