CVU Hosts Third Empty Bowls Fundraiser
Powered by students and volunteers, a community tradition combats hunger
By Maeve O’Neil
For The Record
Before the clock struck 6 p.m., a line of eager attendees snaked around and down the stairs of Champlain Valley Union High School’s lobby as they awaited a chance to select their handcrafted bowl soon to be filled with one of many savory soup options.
The smells of hearty minestrone, creamy tomato and classic chowders were in the air at the school’s third annual Empty Bowls fundraiser on Thursday, April 9. This year’s fundraiser dedicated 100 percent of proceeds raised to the Williston Community Food Shelf and is a part of the larger global movement under the same Empty Bowls name.
The bowls were as much of an attraction as the soup. Starting in January, CVU faculty member Emily Mitchell worked with a group of volunteer community potters and student potters on Friday evenings to throw, trim, and glaze over 300 ceramic bowls. Each bowl was displayed for guests to pick a favorite, which then left the event with them as part of the $25 admission.
In their handcrafted bowls, guests enjoyed the selection of soups paired with locally baked bread and finished with a scoop of Sisters of Anarchy ice cream. All were generously provided by local sponsors, with Healthy Living’s chicken and chorizo clam chowder emerging as a clear favorite.
Each bowl had a personal touch, glazed in vibrant blues, greens, and reds, some shallow, and others deep, no two were alike. Making them together was meaningful in its own way for her and the potters, Mitchell said.
“I loved the community building on Friday nights when we were working on the bowls. It has just been really phenomenal, and I think especially right now,” Mitchell said. “I would go and we’d listen to music and the kids were so fun, it was just, like, really great. Right now having community is so important.”
Lori and Dan York, members of the Charlotte-Shelburne-Hinesburg Rotary, attended Empty Bowls for their third year in a row. The good food, great cause and awesome bowls have kept them coming back.
The popularity of the event means early birds get more of a selection. Lori York said of a friend also in attendance, “I saw her at a Rotary Meeting, and she’s like, we have got to get there early to get a good bowl.”
Student volunteers were the stars of the show. From committing Fridays to bowl production, to ladling soup, to speaking on behalf of the event’s philanthropy and manning the bowl selection table, students did it all.
This year’s proceeds will help the Williston Community Food Shelf meet growing need, according to Betsy Johnson, a board member of the nonprofit who spoke to the crowd at Empty Bowls.
In January of this year, the Food Shelf served 474 families, representing 1,202 individuals. This marks a staggering 170 percent increase in families served over the past four years.
With monthly expenses of roughly $17,000 for supplies and rent at the Food Shelf, the CVU event will help to fill up bowls for many families in need.
“It’s nights like tonight and (a) generous community that helps us in our mission of neighbors helping neighbors,” Johnson said.
Over 275 people were in attendance based on ticket sales. The cafeteria echoed with the chatter of lively conversation, perhaps prompted by conversation cards at each table. The cards posed questions about what it means to be food secure, encouraging deeper discussion of root causes and increased levels of food insecurity in Vermont neighborhoods.
With each ticket costing $25 and a competitive silent auction to boot, Laura Howard, Access CVU’s program director, estimates $8,500 will be donated to Williston’s Food Shelf.
Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship for The Hinesburg Record
