PROFILES
Empty Bowls
Worldwide
by Moira Corcoran, 13, Y-Press
For Anna Stone, 17, a clay bowl is a powerful symbol. It represents the volunteer work she does to spread awareness of hunger.
Anna’s definition of youth activism is “youth being involved with their community and actively trying to make a difference and trying to improve the lives of those around them.”
That would certainly apply to Anna, who is vice president of the Youth Action Council of Ottawa, KS. The 10-year-old community council is comprised of sixth- through 12th-graders who undertake “meaningful” service projects in their community.
Empty Bowls was one such project. An international project to fight hunger, Empty Bowls started 20 years ago with one simple idea: Raise awareness of hunger and food insecurity by taking a ceramic bowl and serving a simple meal of soup and bread in it.
There is no single way to hold an Empty Bowls fundraiser. Most organizations choose to make the bowls. For YAC’s event, high school students and local potters created the bowls. On the evening of Jan. 29, residents gathered at Ottawa High School for a meal of soup and bread in the bowls, which sold for $10 each.
Though the meal was simple, the project was not. Not only were area potters and high school students involved, so were elementary students and the elderly. “For about three or four months, we planned the hunger event. It took a lot of planning,” Anna said.
It also was a great success, bringing the community together and raising more than $3,000 for area food banks.
“We had a snowstorm that night, and we still had tons of people coming out and buying bowls. And that showed me that people in our community now feel that it’s an important issue and that it is their job to step up,” she said.
Did you personally get anything out of the Empty Bowls project?
Yes, definitely. I feel a stronger link to my community because it took so much work, coordinating with teachers in our school and local civic groups, just going out and talking with local civic groups.
Do you think youth need to pay more attention to the issues of the economically disadvantaged?
I think so, more than ever, especially with the recession. It’s going to become a big issue if it hasn’t hit your town already. Even if it doesn’t affect you, it’s going to affect one of your friends or your family members.
How does Empty Bowls help in educating young people about the plight of the poor and hungry?
It really does serve as a reminder that there are so many who are less fortunate than us. Empty Bowls really lets us see that firsthand. Otherwise, I don’t think it would be on the radar of most teens.
SOME (So Others Might Eat)
Washington, D.C.
by Jake Thornburgh, 16, Y-Press
Jabari Sanders is a 17-year-old volunteer at SOME (So Others Might Eat), an interfaith nonprofit whose mission is to “help the poor and homeless of our nation’s capital.”
Originally started in 1970 to offer hot nutritional meals to the needy, SOME soon expanded its services to help care for the low-income elderly and those suffering from substance abuse. It has since built a medical clinic and affordable housing for the needy and also provides job training.
Despite only starting a year and a half ago, Jabari has quickly become a frequent volunteer who has participated on multiple projects, including working on a Christmas clothing drive in which he and others gave out health-care items and clothing to more than 4,000 homeless people in Washington, D.C.
Originally encouraged by his mom to join, Jabari has found a supportive, inspiring environment at SOME.
How has volunteering with SOME benefited you?
I have become more open to new things, you know, more respectful to everybody. Sharing with others who don’t have what you have, you never take for granted what you have.
What have been some of the challenges at SOME?
There’s so many people coming in to eat and we just need more and more food. As time goes by, food gets less and less and we have to get more donations.
Do you think youth need to pay more attention to the economically disadvantaged?
I think we can have a lot more kids come out and help out because some people just come volunteer and then they never come back. People have to realize that the homeless people need our help. It just can’t be a few of us out there helping. We need lots of people. It would be a good experience for everybody. It helps your character, and you’re helping someone else out who’s in need.
