What is Empty Bowls?
“Empty Bowls” is an international project to fight hunger, personalized by artists and art organizations on a community level. The core purpose of Empty Bowls is to raise funds for local food charities and educate people about issues of poverty and hunger in their community.
Empty Bowls started in the early 1990’s when Lisa Blackburn and John Hartom decided to do something to counteract the negative news about hunger and poverty in their town in Michigan. John, a high-school ceramics teacher, challenged his students to throw 120 bowls which they used at the first Empty Bowls luncheon held at the school, charging $5 per bowl to raise funds to fight hunger. The event was a success and right away people began duplicating it all over the country and, eventually, all over the world.
Thirty years later, empty bowls are filled all around the world to help fight hunger. “It’s not a lack of food, the problem is food distribution.”—John Hartom
Why Empty Bowls?
In His Name-Colleton partnered with the South Carolina Artisans Center and Colleton Country Arts Council for our 1st “In His Name-Colleton Empty Bowls 2023” fundraiser. This is an impactful opportunity for the community to come together and share a simple meal to express our compassion for those who are hungry.
In 2021, Feeding America reported over 6,000 people faced food insecurity in Colleton County. In 2022, In His Name-Colleton was able to assist 500 people with immediate needs and supportive services and provide over 3,000 meals to those facing food insecurities, all through God’s blessings and the generosity of our community members.
In His Name-Colleton is expected to serve an estimated 2,000 meals this upcoming holiday season. The bowls that each attendee takes home is used as a reminder that somewhere, someone’s bowl is empty.
All proceeds from Empty Bowls 2023 help relocate to a larger facility to better serve the community. For more information @InHisNameColleton.
