Empty Bowls to Highlight Hunger Saturday
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jordan Fouts-
Students in Cindy Bryan’s Art Integrations Applied Learning class and the Village At Winona are hosting an Empty Bowls lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the village pavilion. The sparse menu offers just a cup of soup, a piece of bread and a bottle water, encouraging guests to reflect on the fact that people go hungry all around them in the community.
As a lasting reminder of that fact, guests can keep a homemade bowl after their meal – and through the efforts of Grace and area school students, they’ll have about 600 to choose from.
“The class has made it more of a reality to students that there really is a need,” Bryan said. “It’s something we might be oblivious of sometimes, and we don’t see the people walking the streets who might be homeless.”
The event will financially benefit the local homeless shelter and food pantries across the county. Tickets are a suggested donation of $20 for adults and $5 for kids.
Bryan noted food pantries serve a number of people in the area that may be surprising to many – 600 a month in Syracuse alone – but have trouble keeping their shelves stocked in summer.
“Food pantries have a ‘lean time’ at this time of year. Their shelves are empty in summer because most giving is done in winter,” but summer is also when the need is highest since kids aren’t receiving meals at school, she said. “So they were excited about the timeliness of the event.”
A donation of money rather than food allows pantries to purchase exactly what they need, she added.
Her class of 22 wasn’t limited to art majors, and a variety of students contributed to the project by researching the issue of local hunger, designing flyers and spreading the word. She said they learned not only about poverty but also how to organize charity events, which was one of her goals.
“The class was full with a waiting list. All the students signed up with a desire to give. They had a great attitude and they’re hard workers,” she said.
Student Amanda Bowman said she was eager to use her talents to benefit the community.
“Going into this project, our class had no clue how big of an impact we were about to make and how many people we were going to help. But it has been a blessing through this whole journey and definitely eye-opening,” Bowman said. “We don't realize how many people are actually affected by hunger and being homeless here in the county, but this class has helped us find a place in our hearts and prayers for these people. We realize that each time we make an empty bowl and put time and love into it, it is going to be a few more people we can potentially help.”
Bryan’s students made about 400 of the bowls to be offered. The rest were made by other area students and volunteers at Pottery Bayou in Winona Lake, which first introduced the Empty Bowls event to the area in 2011. About 25 local businesses contributed, making it possible for every dollar raised Saturday to go to food pantries.
Tickets will be available at the door and also in advance at Combined Community Services and businesses including Pottery Bayou, Latte Lounge and the Village Mercantile. Bowls are also available in advance for anyone who is interested in contributing but can’t make it Saturday.
For more information, find Kosciusko County Empty Bowls on Facebook.
Bryan plans to oversee the class project again next year and would like to see it become an annual event.
“I’m really hoping to do this every year, maybe add an extra class,” she said. “I’m hoping the community comes to own this eventually, and it becomes something people look forward to every year.”[[In-content Ad]]
Students in Cindy Bryan’s Art Integrations Applied Learning class and the Village At Winona are hosting an Empty Bowls lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the village pavilion. The sparse menu offers just a cup of soup, a piece of bread and a bottle water, encouraging guests to reflect on the fact that people go hungry all around them in the community.
As a lasting reminder of that fact, guests can keep a homemade bowl after their meal – and through the efforts of Grace and area school students, they’ll have about 600 to choose from.
“The class has made it more of a reality to students that there really is a need,” Bryan said. “It’s something we might be oblivious of sometimes, and we don’t see the people walking the streets who might be homeless.”
The event will financially benefit the local homeless shelter and food pantries across the county. Tickets are a suggested donation of $20 for adults and $5 for kids.
Bryan noted food pantries serve a number of people in the area that may be surprising to many – 600 a month in Syracuse alone – but have trouble keeping their shelves stocked in summer.
“Food pantries have a ‘lean time’ at this time of year. Their shelves are empty in summer because most giving is done in winter,” but summer is also when the need is highest since kids aren’t receiving meals at school, she said. “So they were excited about the timeliness of the event.”
A donation of money rather than food allows pantries to purchase exactly what they need, she added.
Her class of 22 wasn’t limited to art majors, and a variety of students contributed to the project by researching the issue of local hunger, designing flyers and spreading the word. She said they learned not only about poverty but also how to organize charity events, which was one of her goals.
“The class was full with a waiting list. All the students signed up with a desire to give. They had a great attitude and they’re hard workers,” she said.
Student Amanda Bowman said she was eager to use her talents to benefit the community.
“Going into this project, our class had no clue how big of an impact we were about to make and how many people we were going to help. But it has been a blessing through this whole journey and definitely eye-opening,” Bowman said. “We don't realize how many people are actually affected by hunger and being homeless here in the county, but this class has helped us find a place in our hearts and prayers for these people. We realize that each time we make an empty bowl and put time and love into it, it is going to be a few more people we can potentially help.”
Bryan’s students made about 400 of the bowls to be offered. The rest were made by other area students and volunteers at Pottery Bayou in Winona Lake, which first introduced the Empty Bowls event to the area in 2011. About 25 local businesses contributed, making it possible for every dollar raised Saturday to go to food pantries.
Tickets will be available at the door and also in advance at Combined Community Services and businesses including Pottery Bayou, Latte Lounge and the Village Mercantile. Bowls are also available in advance for anyone who is interested in contributing but can’t make it Saturday.
For more information, find Kosciusko County Empty Bowls on Facebook.
Bryan plans to oversee the class project again next year and would like to see it become an annual event.
“I’m really hoping to do this every year, maybe add an extra class,” she said. “I’m hoping the community comes to own this eventually, and it becomes something people look forward to every year.”[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092