giving back
Children’s Art: How To Make Bowls and Feed the Hungry
giving back • my world • bettering communities • bettering communities
How can you serve the poor? Every Thanksgiving in Boise, the Idaho Foodbank does an event called Empty Bowls to raise money for families in need. They ask local artisans and regular folk like me to donate hand painted bowls that are then sold downtown at a big event the day after turkey day and 1000's of bowls are sold with local restaurants donating soup. Each bowl is sold for $10.00, which produces 30 meals.
When I heard about this, I decided that my kids in grade school could all contribute bowls. We had a kiln and I could learn how to do it! I wanted the kids to learn what it feels like to give back to the community. Now, seven years later, we are still making bowls and having fun!
I found a great source for bowls and glaze through Gare inc. I was able to set up an account for the grade school, and they had everything I needed with great customer support. They walked me through the whole process. Over the years we have found donations for the cost of the bowls, and if the kids want to take their bowl home, they bring in 10 dollars for the Foodbank. Overall, 350 kids raise $3,500 dollars, producing 10,500 meals! Some children really want their bowl to go downtown, and others are thrilled to have it come home. Either way, everyone is happy!
How To Make a Bowl
- Start with the bisque fired bowl from Gare that is ready for painting.
- Use the colorful Funstrokes glaze that makes every bowl look like a masterpiece. It looks dull when you paint it on but just wait.
- Dip in the dishwasher safe clear glaze and fire away in the kiln.
- Enjoy a bowl of soup in your one-of-a-kind piece of art! I have so many bowls in my collection I have to rotate them through!
You don't have to be an artist to create a great bowl or buy one, and you don't have to have a lot of money to give back to your community. Just desire and love and a little elbow grease. This has been one of the most rewarding projects that I have been involved in, and I think about it every day when I open my cupboard door. Yummm...
What are simple ways to raise money for those in need? What charities do you love to donate time, money, and resources to in your community?
Susan lives in Boise, Idaho, and is a self-taught artist and a jack of many artsy trades. She is married to a professional artist and has two great teenagers. She has her hand in a lot of pots. She in very involved in her community and fundraising for her kids' choirs. She loves friends, family, movies, pj's, laughing, and ART! She just started her own blog: visit [email protected]
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