Empty Bowls

What is Empty Bowls?
Since its small beginnings in 1990, Empty Bowls has become an international grassroots projectto raise funds for local food shelves. John Hartom and Lisa Blackburn, two high school art teachers at Lahser High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, realized that their annual fooddrive was attracting few donations. They asked their students to make ceramic bowls to be usedat a luncheon for the school staff. Every guest chose a bowl, ate a simple meal of donated soupand bread and made a generous donation to their local food shelf.

Everyone kept their bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in their own community and throughout the world. Our community is hosting its 13th annual event, inviting everyone to come to the Hopkins Center forthe Arts on Tuesday, March 15 to choose a bowl from among 1000 bowls created by localartists and students, eat your choice of soup and bread donated by our businesses, enjoy local entertainment, and make a generous free will donation. In the first 12 years of Empty Bowls, we have raised a total of $522,279!

Are there hungry people in our community?
• Intercongregation Communities Association (ICA Food Shelf) provided 9,262 food assistsin 2010, a 35% increase over 2009. These food services helped 1,764 households receive 1.2 million pounds of food in 2010. ICA distributed financial assistance of $429,614 for rent, mortgage and utilities.
• ResourceWest (formerly Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center) connected over 9,000 people to resources in 2010, a 20% increase from 2009. We distributed 1,400 Second Harvestcommodity food packages and 300 emergency food bags for ICA. We connected over  2,000 people to food programs and economic assistance programs, an increase of 33% from 2009.

What is our Empty Bowls goal this year?
• Our goal is to raise $60,000 for the emergency funds of the Intercongregation CommunitiesAssociation (ICA Food Shelf) and ResourceWest (formerly Hopkins Minnetonka FamilyResource Center).
• $45,000 Challenge to the Community: SUPERVALU challenges local businesses, civic groups, congregations, and community leaders to add to their seed grant of $5,000 to raise over$45,000 in sponsorships before the event.

How can I help? www.HopkinsSchools.org/EmptyBowls
• Businesses can become a Challenge to the Community Sponsor (if your donation is $250 ormore, your logo will be displayed at the event); donate soup, bread, coffee, compostable bowls, cups, spoons, or printing of publicity posters and postcards; advertise the event to customers and employees.
• Civic Organizations can become a Challenge to the Community Sponsor (if your donation is$250 or more, your logo will be displayed at the event); encourage members to attend and
volunteer; use this event as a substitute for your weekly or monthly meeting.
• Faith Congregations can become a Challenge to the Community Sponsor (if your donation is$250 or more, your logo will be displayed at the event); advertise the event; volunteer to help atthe event; choirs and ensembles can entertain.
• Local artists can donate bowls or related artwork for the Celebrity Bowls Silent Auction(Susan - 952-979-1105) volunteer to work with art students making bowls in our schools.
• Local musicians can donate their time entertaining at the event.
• Schools can include hunger issues in the curriculum, bowl making in art classes, promotional poster design in art/tech classes; students and staff can help serve soup or perform at the event.
• Everyone can invite family and friends to join them at the Empty Bowls Event on March 15.
• Everyone can support Empty Bowls on March 15 with a generous free will donation.
• Everyone can make a bowl in a Hopkins Community Ed. class in February. (952-988-4070)
• Everyone can volunteer to help at Empty Bowls.

The Recipe that has filled Empty Bowls in Our Community in 2011:
• 1025 bowls created by our students, staff, and community potters
• 34 Hopkins Public Schools art, music, and elementary teachers
• 195 volunteers and 467 entertainers of all ages
• 71 unique artist bowls for the silent auction
• 1425 servings of donated soup and bread
• 51 sponsors of in-kind services
 
Mix well together and the yield will be $91,290!
including the $75,090 Challenge to the Community Fund sponsored by SUPERVALU and CHOICES FOR CHILDREN and 220 business, congregation, school, and community leaders.

Awards given to our community's Empty Bowls Event:
• WCCO Good Neighbor Award 2005
• Minnesota FoodShare's 2005 Most Creative Drive Award
• Minnesota Community Education's Outstanding Project Award for 2000
• National Community Improvement Projects 2000 Honorable Mention Award
• Minnesota FoodShare's 2000 Outstanding Community Contribution Award
• City of Hopkins Human Rights Award for 1999
• Minnesota FoodShare's 1999 Most Creative Drive Award
Together we can make our community a healthy place for all to live.

www.HopkinsSchools.org/EmptyBowls