Southern Maine Community College hosted its annual Empty Bowls fundraiser on February 27, 2026, to support The Captain’s Cupboard the on‑campus food pantry that provides groceries, hygiene items, and clothing to students in need. The event, which featured handmade ceramic bowls and a selection of soups, raised money to help reduce food insecurity in the SMCC community.

“Empty Bowls” started 36 years ago in Michigan by an art teacher and his students looking to help raise money for a local food drive. They ended up creating something much bigger by crafting bowls filled with donated soup for guests. At the end of the event, the bowl was given to attendees as a gift, serving as a reminder of what Empty Bowls is about—combating food insecurity in our communities. Within the year, Empty Bowls was a sky-high achievement! Now, these events are international and have helped many local communities. SMCC hosted Empty Bowls very successfully, raising funds and awareness for their benefactor—The Captain’s Cupboard.

The Captain’s Cupboard provides a wide selection, covering a large number of items a college student could need. They offer a wide variety of both shelf‑stable and refrigerated items — ranging from basic snacks, boxed meals, and needed sources of nutrition. The Cupboard also has a stock of hygiene products for your everyday needs, menstrual care, and sexual health. A clothing exchange works out of the Captain’s Cupboard as well, focusing on donated articles of clothing such as shirts, pants, shorts, jackets — new, unopened socks are also accepted. While all charity is deeply appreciated, some donations are needed more than others. Last week, Ellen Culberson, the director of Social Services and the Advocacy Resource Center, said that the Captain’s Cupboard has a high demand for hygiene products: tampons, pads, body wash, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, toilet paper, paper towels, and laundry detergent.

The Captain’s Cupboard relies on donations and volunteers like Lauren Boettcher, from Ending Hunger Corps VISTA helps the Captain’s Cupboard with managing food intake, suppliers and volunteers on both the midcoast and South Portland campuses. She was excited to mention that the Captain’s Cupboard is working with Wayside Foods, a food recovery center that collects quality foods from businesses such as Walmart, Hannaford or Shaw’s. She also stated that they work with Midcoast Hunger Prevention, the South Portland food cupboard and Good Shepherd, which is a federally funded organization. While she oversees the volunteers, they have a lot of responsibilities within the Cupboard; volunteers must go through food safety training and learn how to create a welcoming-safe space-for students. All volunteers have the ability to open the Captain’s Cupboard and run it when their schedules allow. Their responsibilities include checking food quality, cleaning the space, rotating and discarding items when needed, as well as providing a warm welcome and quality service to those who enter.

The Empty Bowls fundraiser was a huge success! Taking place on February 27, tickets sold out about four days before the event took place. The event was open to the public; adult tickets included a ceramic bowl, many made by students at SMCC and others donated by local potters. The soup was made by the culinary program, with some donations from David’s Restaurant, and desserts from Ocean House Bakery in Cape Elizabeth and North 43 Bistro. Gluten‑free bread was donated by Sodexo. All of the proceeds raised through ticket purchases and donations will go to the Captain’s Cupboard, making this a major fundraiser in the fight against food insecurity within the student population.

When talking about the event, the President of SMCC, Dr. Kristen Miller, said, “It was amazing to see what community can do for an incredible cause.” While it is currently unknown how much was raised from the ticket sales, Ellen Culberson and Lauren Boettcher are both looking forward to the ability to focus on items that do not get donated by their partnering businesses with the funds from Empty Bowls — ensuring students will have the opportunity to feel comfortable and supported while pursuing their education. Some SMCC students rely on the Captain’s Cupboard for most of their meals and hygiene items. This pantry is a necessity for the college’s student life and depends on support from the community.