In June an Empty Bowls Project Fundraiser took place at Toni’s Kitchen raising $2,793. Partners for Health Foundation matched these funds, and a check for $5,586 was recently presented to Anne Mernin, Director of Outreach, Toni’s Kitchen at St. Luke’s Church.
This Empty Bowls Project was organized by Montclair High School seniors, Sophia Abraham-Raveson, Zoë Jacobs, Jaime Knoth, and Devin Deflora, for their Career Internship Program. The students were in charge of every aspect of creating the event, with Elizabeth Jacobs, owner of The Clay Studio, as their mentor. They created approximately 80 bowls, with some help from community members who were invited to the studio to help them hand build, throw, trim, and finally glaze the bowls. The students prepared most of the food that was served at the fundraising event, with the exception of the generous bread donation from The Montclair Bread Company.
The basic premise of The Empty Bowls Project is simple: Potters and other craftspeople, educators and others work with the community to create handcrafted bowls. Guests are invited to a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for a cash donation, guests are asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. The money raised is donated to an organization working to end hunger and food insecurity.
The matching grant was provided by the Partners for Health Foundation as part of its Fight Hunger the Healthy Way Campaign. Pam Scott, Executive Director of Partners for Health, notes, “The Campaign is designed to inspire action to assist local food banks and soup kitchens in their efforts to provide their clients with healthier foods. These matching grants are designed to encourage even more activities.”
To learn more, visit: The Empty Bowls Project @ www.emptybowls.net; Toni’s Kitchen @ www.tk.slechurch.org;The Clay Studio @ https://elizabethjacobs.com; or Partners for Health Foundation @ www.partnersfdn.org.