People were lined up at 11:00 o’clock in Syracuse this morning to get a bowl of soup. The money they spent for a hand-made ceramic bowl will help others fill theirs. It was the annual Empty Bowls event to help fight local hunger. Shaped Clay Society Member Allison Heberling and SU Student Erin Daetsch helped make the nearly 13-hundred bowls that were for sale.
“We fire them, then we come back the next week and we glaze them all. One person might throw it, another person might trim it then another person might glaze it. And it’s all for the sake of the community,” said Heberling. Daetsch participated for the third year in a row," I think it’s a great cause and I think it’s neat that you can get a bowl and have some soup and support not only just art, but also a great cause as well."
Customers get to keep the hand-made bowls, many of which are quite artistic. The clay and the craftsmanship was all donated as was the soup from a dozen local restaurants. Elin McGruder and Patty Barth are regular supporters.
“To me the interesting thing is something that I think is pretty somebody else doesn’t. So everybody likes different things,” said McGruder. Barth added, “They have other cities across the country that also do this. Not that many cities though I was surprised, but it’s certainly a good thing."
The National Empty Bowls organizationreports events in at least eight other states in the coming weeks. Here in Syracuse customers paid $20 per bowl with proceeds going to theInter-Religious Food Consortium.