Reflections from Crumbly Acres: Empty Bowls 2012 – potters produce pots for non-profits

EMPTY BOWLS

is a strategy adopted by potters across North America to fight food scarcity in their own communities.

In my world, I do volunteer work with the Food For Thought committee, a nutrition program for students in Lanark County. I came across the Perth, Ontario, Empty Bowls project, where we get some funding. Jackie Seaton (in the video below), who is the big organizer in Perth, has been dealing with Multiple Myeloma. He blogs, his wife, Joni also blogs with information,
A note from Joni … aka Chemosabe,

My empty bowl!

with a great sense of humour, about his medical journey. One story involves toothpaste and a similarly shaped creme.

We happened upon Empty Bowls last year at Foodsmiths. Last year (2010) the Empty Bowls program distributed over $17,000 to local food distribution programs like the Perth & District Foodbank, YAK Youth Centre and the Food for Thought Breakfast and Snack programs in Lanark County Schools.

Jackie Seaton organizes the Empty Bowls project each year, during which hundreds of handmade clay bowls are sold at the Festival of the Maples, the Perth Autumn Studio Tour (Thanksgiving weekend) and at Riverguild Fine Crafts and other shops.

All money raised provides funding for food-security campaigns in the area.

Empty Bowls has generated $130,000 for local food initiatives over the past 10 years and those who benefit from the project say they could not do without it.

This is my empty bowl. I love using it all the time.

There are many potters in the Perth area. We visited them during the Festival of the Maples.

AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

If you can't make it to Perth for either of our two April events, you can still donate to
Empty Bowls and have your donation matched by our local branch.

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