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.
