Empty Bowls Deepens Awareness of our Interconnectedness.

The Empty Bowls Dinner Sunday night was a spectacular evening with hundreds of attendees, over 100 volunteers and an impressive number of local donors from bowls to soup. This Empty Bowls event was a fundraiser held at Mount Anthony High School, sponsored by the Greater Bennington Interfaith Community Services organization, on October 11th. The excitement in the dining room glistened as brightly as the bowls. Several artists performed on guitar, trumpet and keyboard. The volunteers ranged from students to public officials. There were soup and bread donors and businesses throughout the community who donated goods, services, expertise and good humor.

People understand hunger in a tangible way and the statistics of those hungry in the Greater Bennington area are staggering. In Bennington County alone over 1,400 children under the age of 18 experience hunger and with the current economic crisis has made the current circumstances even more difficult for local families. There was an amazing response from the community with hundreds of attendees.

Sue Andrews, the Executive Director of the Greater Bennington Interfaith Community Services, shared that 17 restaurants donated soup to the event and 6 businesses donated bread. To recognize the list of participants and donors, the organization's blog site has scrolling lists of all who gave of themselves [benningtonemptybowls.blogspot.com]. The concept was simplicity - soup and bread. The proceeds have not all been tabulated as of yet, however, the Bennington Food and Fuel Fund is deeply grateful for the support of their effort to help those families in the greater Bennington area who need assistance.

The Empty Bowls event consisted of bowl making and glazing parties over the past six months, from UCS to each of the faith communities, all culminating with this major fundraising event. Each person was invited to keep a bowl as a reminder of those who are hungry. Several from Saint Peter's Episcopal Church were organizers and many parishioners contributed to the support of this event. Those involved in every part of the process were engaged in the gift of creation and the gift of giving. There was an "Obama-Bowl", a "Patrick Bowl" (from Sponge Bob Square Pants), a flower petal bowl, stars, leaves, a "Foot Bowl", eight long tables of unique bowls all with brilliant colors. Some artists even signed their names on the bottoms of the bowls. Each bowl established a connection between those who created them, those who kept them, and those who will benefit from the assistance made available through the Food and Fuel Fund.

THANK YOU BENNINGTON COMMUNITY!!!

Wow! The Empty Bowls Dinner last night was a spectacular evening with hundreds of attendees, over 100 volunteers and an impressive number of local donors from bowls to soup. There was an "Obama-Bowl", a "Patrick Bowl" (from Sponge Bob Square Pants), a flower petal bowl, stars, leaves, a "Foot Bowl", all with brilliant colors. The excitement in the dining room glistened as brightly as the bowls. Several artists performed on guitar, trumpet and keyboard. The volunteers ranged from students to public officials. There were soup and bread donors and businesses throughout the community who donated goods, services, expertise and good humor.

I invite those who attended to share the your experience at this event with comments. Thank you for responding to the urgent needs of the hungry in your community.

Eyes On a Upcoming Empty Bowls Soup Event on October 11th

With the last of the glazed bowls being fired, the Empty Bowls Planning Committee is focused on OCTOBER 11th! Everyone in the Bennington area is invited to come to this dinner fundraiser from 5 - 8 pm held at the Mount Anthony High School. For $10 you receive a soup and meal and get to take a bowl lovingly decorated by over a hundred volunteers.

Last Wave of Glazing Surfed by Student International Club

On September 15th, a second glazing party gathered in Congregation Beth El's gathering hall. Mount Anthony High School's Student International Club was there making an impact upon the needs of the Bennington Community! This awesome effort finished off the glazing of the last 100 or so bowls. Again another healthy turnout of volunteers and artists. Pictures here are courtesy of and thanks go to the Teacher sponsor, Anja Pfeffer, for her involvement of the High School's students in this effort. The special nature of the International Club is learning and reaching beyond the bounds of everyday life to raise awareness of cultural diversity of and build relationships with others globally. This effort will raise funds as a whole community for those who in this tough economic time need assistance from the Food and Fuel Fund program of the Bennington Interfaith Community Services organization. For young people to see the significance of how important it is to make a contribution to this critical need in Bennington is totally cool. Glazing the bowls was just as fun as surfing so many thanks go to all who participated in achieving our goal of 500 bowls.

More Glazing Scheduled on September 15

Even with such a large attendance on August 26th, 100 bowls remain needing glaze. YOU are invited to Congregation Beth El to finish these last bowls up to be prepared for firing. If you would like to return to the fun of glazing please come on Tuesday, September 15th from 3 pm - 5 pm. You'll have a chance to meet the members of the International Club of Mount Anthony High School. After these last bowls are completed we can look forward to October 11th. That is the BIG DAY!

76 People from all over Bennington came on August 26

The Glazing Party was abuzz with creativity on August 26th! Four hundred plus bowls were glazed in the intimate quarters of the ceramic studio of Grace Christian School. The pictures show even Kasha the dog got into the gathering. As the Chairs of this event can attest we hardly expected 76 people from all over Bennington to gather - people of all ages. Ice cream sundaes were served under a canopy just outside the back door. Sanders were sanding, glazers were glazing and so many people and organizations helped. Stewarts Ice Cream Shoppes donated all the sundae makings. After the clean-up the three chairs sighed a huff of relief and gratitude for all the help, especially from Patty Herzfeld the Art Instructor for the School. A special thanks from Lisa Flynn, Patty Foley-Hess and Michelle Peattie, the chairs of this event, goes out to the whole Committee for Empty Bowls events, to all the volunteers (those in yellow T-shirts and a group of community outreach leaders from Bennington College), and to everyone who participated.

Art Studio deep in corridors of Grace Christian School

Here are some more pictures of those working in the ceramics studio. For about seven or eight weeks, a bowl making party has gathered every Wednesday evening at Grace Christian School. The ceramics studio is found by travelling through these windy halls and corridors, for the fearless adventurer. Deep into the school you finally come to this cradle of creativity where slamming of clay balls and excited chatter and bowed backs labor over their craft. All are bravely tapping deep into their own creative souls, some seriously focused, some gleefully carving unique decorations, some proudly displaying the variety of designs as hundreds of bowls are stacking up in the ceramics vault (a closet really). This activity can be likened to creative writing in the often messiness of brainstorming and then shaping one's thoughts into something coherent. Don't you wonder about the quiet artist who is connecting mind and heart with hands?

All drama aside, the mystery of the ceramics studio is being revealed in the radical abundance of all those gathered to share their gifts of creativity in the acts of compassion, sharing, laughter, groans, perserverance, admiration and conversation.... being present to one another in order to bring forth diverse creations for a greater purpose. No bowl is identical. As each artist transforms the clay, those gathered are transformed by each other.

.

Empty Bowls Made at 45th Bennington Battleday Parade

On Sunday, August 16th, Bennington pulled out all stops to commemorate the 45th Bennington Battleday Parade. This state holiday celebrates a battle fought in 1777 during the Revolutionary War to ensure that the provisions for Bennington and the colonial army would be safe. As the 14 bands and musical groups and 16 floats passed by with all splendor and pride, people of all ages came to the tarp for Empty Bowls. Consider the connection of community coming together to preserve the safety of supplies both in the history of this area and today for all those who are struggling to feed themselves and their families despite the economic crisis that impacts us all. Here are some pictures of those who came to make a bowl - to make a difference.

What does making an Empty Bowl mean to you?

In 2008, 10% of Vermont households were unable to access enough food to fully meet their basic needs at all time. The statistics are even more dire for children: one in six children in Vermont experiences hunger. In Bennington County alone, over 1400 children under the age of 18 experience hunger. More than a third of all Vermonters cannot afford either enough food or nutritious food. And the current economic crisis in our nation has made circumstances even more difficult for local families. Visits to local food pantries and requests for help from the Food and Fuel Fund have increased drastically over the past year.

More Pictures Courtesy of Mark Rondeau of the Bennington Banner

This event of bowl making was held at the Bennington Free Clinic, another program of Greater Bennington Interfaith Community Servics, Inc.

Muddy Hands Are Allowed

Lisa Flynn, of First Baptist Church, crafts a bowl on a potters wheel. Her son is learning the art. Young people from all over Bennington are engaged in the gift of creation and gift of giving.

500 Bowls Made by 1000 Hands

Many groups around the Bennington area have been holding Bowl Making parties. Here are some pictures of those working toward the goal of 500 bowls. These will be glazed at the Bowl Glazing event on August 26th at 5 pm at Grace Christian School. These were taken at the UCS Health and Safety Fair.