Empty Bowls
Posted by Steve Frazier
Our Program on May 4th was introduced by Woody Love. The speaker was Barbara Westmoreland, speaking about ResourceWest, and Empty Bowls. Barb is employed as the volunteer coordinator for the Hopkins School District, and is a member of the Hopkins Rotary Club.
ResourceWest is a sister program to the ICA, covering the same physical area as ICA. The program was formerly called Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center. While ICA provides food and help with shelter expenses, ResourceWest provides clothing, referrals to other social agencies, and other items and services to provide immediate help to those in need. Last year, ResourceWest connected over 7,500 people and families to resources that could help solve their problems. They sponsor the mitten and coat project that Karen and Steve are involved with, as well as the Empty Bowls program.
Twenty years ago, two Michigan high school teachers noted that annual food drives were starting to get fewer donations. They had their students make ceramic bowls which were used at a teacher luncheon. They were served soup and bread and asked to donate the cost of the meal to the local food shelf. From that beginning, the idea has spread worldwide, and ResourceWest is sponsoring it's 13th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser on March 15, 2011. Last year, the project raised $67,135.00 for ICA.
The event is staged at the Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts, and in 2010 involved 197 sponsors, 1545 guests who came for soup, 1145 artists who made bowls, and 625 volunteers who worked at the event. (Story by Tad shaw and photo by Steve Frazier)
ResourceWest is a sister program to the ICA, covering the same physical area as ICA. The program was formerly called Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center. While ICA provides food and help with shelter expenses, ResourceWest provides clothing, referrals to other social agencies, and other items and services to provide immediate help to those in need. Last year, ResourceWest connected over 7,500 people and families to resources that could help solve their problems. They sponsor the mitten and coat project that Karen and Steve are involved with, as well as the Empty Bowls program.
Twenty years ago, two Michigan high school teachers noted that annual food drives were starting to get fewer donations. They had their students make ceramic bowls which were used at a teacher luncheon. They were served soup and bread and asked to donate the cost of the meal to the local food shelf. From that beginning, the idea has spread worldwide, and ResourceWest is sponsoring it's 13th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser on March 15, 2011. Last year, the project raised $67,135.00 for ICA.
The event is staged at the Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts, and in 2010 involved 197 sponsors, 1545 guests who came for soup, 1145 artists who made bowls, and 625 volunteers who worked at the event. (Story by Tad shaw and photo by Steve Frazier)