Students take on hunger with ‘Empty Bowls’
This year, Erskine students participated in the Empty Bowls Project for the first time. The Visual Art Society of Erskine (VASE) led Erskine’s efforts, which benefitted the Greenwood Soup Kitchen.
Jonathan Jacobs, a senior from Greenville, serves as president of VASE (formerly known as SOVA–Society of Visual Arts). “The projects we have planned are aimed at being more purposeful and collaborative with other organizations, societies, etc.,” he said. “So this was a great way to start off the year.”
The Empty Bowls project was started six years ago and has become an annual community event in Greenwood, thanks to the combined work of Greenwood Area Studio Potters, Greenwood County Medical Alliance, and Greenwood Soup Kitchen. It is the only fund-raiser for Greenwood Soup Kitchen.
This year’s Empty Bowls event took place Oct. 10 at the United Center for Community Care. Donors purchased tickets which allowed them to attend Empty Bowls, choosing a bowl and then entering the kitchen area for a bowl of soup, a drink, and a dessert. Volunteers washed the bowls and gave them to donors to take home.
Erskine contributed some 80 bowls to the Empty Bowls project. VASE invited members of the Erskine community to come and form the bowls in September, and VASE members dried, glazed, and fired them in time to be sold at the Empty Bowls event.
“Our faculty sponsor is Assistant Professor of Art Sharon Linnehan, and instrumental in making this work was Kerri Boyd, wife of Professor of Chemistry Dr. Joel Boyd,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs recognized other students who serve as VASE officers, including Justin Thompson of Due West, treasurer, who brought the Empty Bowls project to his attention; Kaitlin Hoffman of Gastonia, N.C., vice president; and Kaitlin Craton of Pelzer, secretary.
“Members of VASE were really glad to be a part of the Greenwood Empty Bowls project and to be able to get students involved, and we look forward to next year,” he said.
For more information about Empty Bowls Project, “an international grassroots effort to raise both money and awareness in the fight to end hunger,” see its website here.
