This photo of beautiful, handmade bowls sends a powerful message. The bowls are empty, as are the cupboards and pantries of many community members. Everyone is invited to the Empty Bowls fundraiser to help the Cook County Food Shelf meet the demand.
Hunger remains a problem in Cook County. This year, the Cook County Food Shelf saw a significant increase in clients. With one in 10 Cook County residents struggling with hunger, other community hunger organizations also continue to find their services in high demand.
“People are facing hunger in Cook County for lots of reasons,” Alison McIntyre of Cook County Public Health and Human Services said. “There’s a high cost of living and low wages. People are having to make hard decisions about what their money is going to go towards each month.”
The annual Empty Bowls fundraiser event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (lunch), and dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. at St. John’s Catholic Church Nov. 12. The event strives to bring awareness to the pervasiveness of hunger in Cook County while actively working to solve this community problem.
Empty Bowls 2015 features a simple soup dinner with soup and bread provided by local restaurants and a beautiful array of handcrafted bowls made at the Grand Marais Art Colony by community members and potters. A silent auction offers a large selection of gift certificates perfect for holiday, wedding or birthday gifts. The bake sale provides sweet treats to enjoy at the event or take home.
The national Empty Bowls project celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Empty Bowls in Cook County started in 2006 and is currently an event put on by community volunteers in collaboration with the Grand Marais Art Colony, KIDS Plus, and the generous donations of local businesses.
Approximately 75 volunteers are needed on the day of the event to assist with setting up, serving, and various other tasks. If interested in volunteering, contact Pat Campanaro at 651-336-2964 or pcampanaro@gmail.com.
Proceeds from Empty Bowls battle hunger in Cook County by funding hunger programs such as those offered by Cook County Food Shelf, Snack Packs Program, Violence Prevention Center, ISD 166, Oshki Ogimaag Charter School, Meals on Wheels/Cook County Senior Center, Good Samaritan Fund, and others.
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