Empty Bowls Project 2019 Raises $25,000 for Regional Food Bank
By Mackenzie Dunn
Special to Live Wire
The annual event, held Oct. 19, sells unlimited soup, bread, desserts and beverages for a $20 entrance fee. The money also purchases a ceramic bowl, that was designed either by an artisan at Greenleaf Pottery in South Windsor, or students in pottery classes at MCC. Patrons now have the bowls to remind them that not everyone is food secure. Food Insecurity means not knowing when or where your next meal will come from.
For the 21st year in a row, Manchester Community College raised money for the needy by hosting the Empty Bowls Project.
All the money raised goes to Foodshare, the regional food bank that serves Hartford and Tolland counties and organizes the annual event.
Making the fall event a success is requires the help of many people.
The bowls are donated and so is the soup, by 33 local restaurants. The bread, dessert and beverages were sponsored by 27 area businesses, including Highland Park Market, Guida’s Dairy and Sysco.
Kathy Kern and Ricardo Aragon, instructors of the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management department, and their students helped serve all the food. Some students from MCC Sociology classes taught by Lucy Hurston volunteered by picking up soup, washing bowls, and serving food at the event.
Over the past 21 years, Empty Bowls has raised more than $328,000. This year more than $25,000 was raised for Foodshare and its mission to feed more than 121,000 food insecure individuals. Every dollar raised provides 2.5 meals to food insecure individuals. That’s 62,500 meals.
Kern said that her favorite thing about the annual event is “seeing our students work so hard on the day of the event. They’re here from 7 o’clock in the morning until 4 o’clock in the afternoon, all heating up soups, and working really, really hard for a great cause.”
Aragon agreed the Culinary Arts students benefit from their involvement.
“It also showcases our students and makes them aware that there is a huge support, especially closer to the holiday season, and it’s always a good opportunity for students to come in on a Saturday and to be very committed,” he said.
Attendees also enjoy the event and some have been coming for years, like Barbara Minajun of Manchester.
“I enjoy time with friends and all year long when you pull out that bowl, you remember the time coming here,” she said.
For more information about Foodshare or to make a donation visit www.foodshare.org.
