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The Empty Bowls Project
Written By: A.J. Stewart | Issue: 2018/09 - September
When was the last time you ate a hot meal? Was it a chicken biscuit this morning? Or maybe it was that juicy steak you had for dinner last night. Even if it was a cold cut sandwich, you probably spent more time just trying to decide where to get it from. But for many people, where their next meal is going to come from is the least of their worries. Nearly 1 in 5 people in Jackson and Macon County fall below the poverty line. Faced with gnawing hunger and food insecurity, they may not know when they’ll get to eat again.
You can help ease that uncertainty by participating in the Empty Bowls Project. On Sunday, October 7th, the Fishes and Loaves Pantry in Cashiers and The Highlands Food Pantry will serve a humble meal of soup and bread served in a handmade bowl. These bowls are lovingly crafted by local artists and donated to the project. The soups are provided by various local restaurants.
For a nominal donation, guests enjoy the warm meal and take the bowl home as a reminder of their generosity. The donations help the Pantries in their never-ending quest to fill the bowls of others. The Pantries are operated solely by volunteers that give their time throughout the year to keep the doors open for anyone that may need it.
The Empty Bowls Project started in 1990 as a fund raiser for a Michigan high school. The bowls were created by art students and used to serve a simple meal. Since then, Empty Bowls has spread across the nation, bringing local artists and charities together to support food banks and pantries and bring awareness to the grim reality of chronic hunger.
In Cashiers, visit the Orchard Restaurant Event Barn from 12:00-2:00 and purchase your bowl and meal for $25. In Highlands, pick up your bowl at Coleman Hall at First Presbyterian Church from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for $25. For more information, contact Carole Stork in Cashiers at (828) 743-3222, or The International Friendship Center in Highlands at (828) 526-0890.
