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While you and I might not go hungry, many people in Charlotte County do go hungry every day!
A high school teacher in Michigan began Empty Bowls as a community service project in 1990. The teacher and his students were searching for a way to raise funds to support a food drive. What evolved was a class project to make ceramic bowls for a fund raising meal. Guests were served a simple meal of soup and bread and were invited to keep the “empty” bowl as a reminder of hunger in the world.
Charlotte County’s Empty Bowls began in 2000 as a lesson on homelessness and hunger with a fourth grade class at Liberty Elementary School. It has evolved into a community-wide project where private citizens, business people and community leaders join ÎÛÎÛϺ to make and sell clay bowls through the Empty Bowls program to raise money to fight hunger in Charlotte County. To date, the event has raised over $100,000.
The culmination of this program is the Empty Bowls Benefit Dinner held in November each year. For a small donation, each participant receives a bowl of soup, bread, a bottle of water and one of the handcrafted bowls.
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The Empty Bowls Event has become an annual event in Charlotte County since 2000.
For a small donation, come and enjoy a simple meal of soup, bread, and water and get a handcrafted bowl to keep as a reminder of hunger in our communities and in the world.
Food
Delicious soups and breads have been donated from The Perfect Caper, Jack’s, River City Grill, Dean’s, Luigi’s, Hendrick’s Food Vault, The Cultural Center Café, Phil’s, Pies & Plates, Bob Evans, Nino’s Italian Bakery, Outback, Panera, The Captain's Table, The Golden Krust, Helping Hands, Red Lobster and Crystal Springs Water
Entertainment
Entertainment is provided by local groups. Past entertainment provided by Still Friends, Friends of Bluegrass, Chukulla, LES and NAES School Choruses, Philip Eyrich, and the North Port Symphony.
Silent Auction
A silent auction is held at the event. Come and bid on a special handcrafted bowl or items donated by area businesses.
Bowls
Bowls are handcrafted by students, faculty, and community members. If you are interested in making a bowl, contact the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda (639-8810) for the day and time of this year’s bowl making events. Make a bowl for free and donate it to the event. Everyone who attends the dinner gets a bowl to take home.
Sponsors
Empty Bowls is in need of continued business and community partnerships in Charlotte County. As the event grows, so does the demand for assistance with leadership, growth, fund-raising, and awareness within our community. Become a sponsor for our next event. Contact Darcy Woods at the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition, (941) 627-4313.
Volunteers
Empty Bowls is a totally voluntary program. If you are interested in helping fight hunger in our communities, contact Darcy Woods at the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition, (941) 627-4313.
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"Empty Bowls" is a project to provide support for hunger fighting organizations.
The Charlotte County Empty Bowls fundraiser is coordinated by a “grassroots” group whose goals are:
• To educate people about the hunger issues that exist within our community
• To seek ways to end hunger so that no one in Charlotte County goes to bed hungry
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“If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” --Mother Teresa
“If we can conquer space, we can conquer childhood hunger.” -- Buzz Aldrin
"We know that a peaceful world cannot long exist, one-third rich and two-thirds hungry." -- Jimmy Carter
“35 million people in the U.S. are hungry or don't know where their next meal is coming from, and 13 million of them are children. If another country were doing this to our children, we'd be at war.” -- Jeff Bridges [www.betterworld.net]
Help Feed the Hungry for Free at The Hunger Site