Empty bowls

Empty Bowls brings awareness to BU community
By Martha Harris
As college students on campus, there is food everywhere. If one wants a variety, he or she can go to The Commons or Husky lounge, or if one wants something specific, he or she can go to the Italian Kitchen or 2nd Street Café. As students, it is hard to imagine being hungry, but Empty Bowls, a project sponsored by the SOLVE office to benefit the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard, tries to make students aware.
Empty Bowls took place April 1 from 4:30 to 7 PM in the Kehr Union Ballroom, and it raised about $3,500. According to the official website www.emptybowls.net, a high school art teacher started this project in 1990 in Michigan as a way to raise funds for a local food drive. What evolved was a class project to make ceramic bowls for the fund raising project. Guests were served a simple meal of soup and bread, and were invited to keep the bowl as a reminder of hunger. Since then, people all over the world have raised millions of dollars for food banks, soup kitchens and other organizations who work to combat hunger.
Bloomsburg University has been participating in this project for five years. Bloomsburg students, as well as Area ceramic artists, middle & high school students and community members, made 500 bowls for the event.
“A VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) member Aleisha Edelman organized the first one here in 2003,” SOLVE office worker Jean E. Downing said. “Aleisha was a recent Kutztown grad with a degree in nutrition who wanted the experience of a community-based volunteer food distribution partnering with a university. She learned about Empty Bowls at a poverty & hunger workshop.”
In addition to sampling soups from local restaurants and taking home a bowl, participants enjoyed musical entertainment from Bloomsburg High School chorus, BU Dance Ensemble, BU gospel choir and bluegrass piano music. The kids’ corner had activities including making pine cone-peanut butter snacks to feed the birds and colored collages. During a silent auction, artists sold pottery, woven scarves, prints, photos, paintings, greeting cards and a clock, and local businesses sold gift certificates, flowers and candy.
“All feedback indicates everyone had a good time, and Some students brought their parents,” event coordinator Andrew Stout said. “Community members enjoyed coming up on campus and seeing the students participating. Everyone enjoyed the entertainment, especially the 2 BU groups, and Gary Clark brought his photograph from his Essential Humanity Alliance Against Homelessness.” it is a great cause and we love being out in the community,” Dance Ensemble President Megan Tizio said. “We had about 30 people who used all different kinds of music that went along with our ballet, tap, competition, jazz and Latin classes.”
According to Downing, this is a good way to remind all people in the community what others face every day.
“Each year, Empty Bowls has raised about $4,000 for the local food cupboard,” Downing said. “This is their largest annual fundraiser and they really need it. It is also a wonderful campus and community event because past students and others feel it is a worthwhile cause.”
“ This was our first year doing the empty bowls event, and it was a nice turn-out,” gospel choir adviser Marcei Woods said. “It’s a good way to get involved with the surrounding community. The proceeds go towards a great cause, so it's always nice to be a part of that. It was a lot of fun, and I hope we can do it again next year.”

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