World Food Day Is October 16, 2009
World Food Day is a worldwide event designed
to increase awareness, understanding, and
action to alleviate hunger. It is observed every
year on October 16. In the United States, the
endeavor is sponsored by 450 national, private,
and voluntary organizations.
FOCUS IN
The Imagine Render Group
Once Empty Bowls became a suc-
cess, we created the Imagine Render
Empty Bowls
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Group—a nonprofit organization ded-
icated to positive and lasting change
through the arts, education, and proj-
ects that build community.
Committed to helping the people of
PROJECT
the Greater New Orleans area as they
continue their recovery from Hurri-
cane Katrina, we are working to create
several major Empty Bowls activities.
We will help make and gather bowls
Lisa Blackburn and John Hartom
for the food bank in New Orleans
as they organize their Empty Bowls
The Empty Bowls Project is an international, grassroots, crafts-based effort to end hunger. It started as what we
and that we had the opportunity to
see that the magic of that moment
continue.
events. To participate, you can contact
the food bank and make arrangements
to provide bowls for their event, or
hold your own event and send some or
thought would be a one-time
The Empty Bowls Project
all of the proceeds to them. You can
luncheon to raise money for our
During the next several months, we
also visit emptybowls.net for infor-
school district food drive in the fall
distributed information packets about mation on participating in an existing
of 1990. Students at Bloomfield Hills
what we officially named the Empty
event, or to find out how to create your
Lahser High School in Detroit enthu-
Bowls Project. Today, events are being
own event.
siastically set about throwing, deco-
held across the United States and Can-
rating, and firing 120 bowls, enough
ada, and in New Zealand, Germany,
Choosing to Do Better
for the entire school staff. On the day Finland, England, and Hong Kong. The Empty Bowls would not enjoy its
of the event, students displayed the
events have now raised tens of mil-
continuing success without the gen-
bowls, served
lions of dollars erosity of many thousands of ceramic
soup and
for organiza- The Empty Bowls Project is an
artists. But there is much more to it.
bread to staff
tions fighting international, grassroots, crafts-
More than enough food is produced
members, and
based effort to end hunger.
hunger, and
to feed every person on the planet, yet
collected a $5
have raised
millions go hungry every day. Empty
donation from each guest.
awareness about hunger, giving stu-
Bowls has allowed us to use our skills
After the meal, we shared some
dents of all ages the chance to work for to say “We do not accept the way
basic information about hunger and
asked guests to keep the bowls they
selected as a reminder of all the
empty bowls in the world. The room
fell silent. People clutched the bowls
to their chests. We knew that some-
thing very powerful had happened
change in their communities.
Each group running an event
selects the organization to receive
the money raised. Proceeds are often
utilized within the community where
the event takes place and result in
lasting relationships between stu-
dents and the community.
things are. We can do better. We must
do better.” And since we can do some-
thing about it, we have chosen to do
so.
John Hartom and Lisa Blackburn are the
founders of the Empty Bowl Project and
the Imagine Render Group. imagineren@
yahoo.com, www.emptybowls.net
Triarco Arts & Crafts
School Arts
2009 Logo for full year
SA900T
NASCO ARTS & CRAFTS DIVISION
School Arts
Full Year - Logo
Key Code: SA900
