Students are serving soup today in handmade ceramic bowls with the proceeds going to charity.

Empty Bowls, in its 11th year at NIU, is run by the Student Dietetic Association and the NIU ceramics department.

The ceramics department is making and donating the bowls, said SDA President Heather Gustus. The SDA and FCNS406 class market the event, cook the soup, collect donations, set up the room and work the event.

The money collected will be donated to a local homeless shelter.

“SDA thought that we could help contribute to the local hunger cause, which is why we chose Hope Haven for the donation,” Gustus said.

The event was organized in a school in Michigan in 1990 by an art teacher who wanted to raise awareness about world hunger, Gustus said.

Members of SDA are participating and attending this year for the first time.

Hillary Meyer, junior nutrition and dietetics major and SDA treasurer, said families mostly come to the event to have dinner. She hopes the event will be a success.

“We’re going to try to work very hard to raise money,” Meyer said. “I guess we are following tradition.”

Ashley Mastroianni, senior nutrition and dietetics major, said she is excited to see how the event turns out.

“I helped with the marketing for Empty Bowls by hanging up flyers and asking businesses and restaurants for any type of donations,” Mastroianni said.

Raffles are also being held. Prizes include hotel stays and gift certificates to a variety of restaurants.