About the Empty Bowls Project

What is the Empty Bowls Project?

Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger. The basic premise is simple: artists, educators, and community members join to create handcrafted bowls. Guests are invited to a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for cash donations, guests are asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. Proceeds are donated to organizations working to end hunger and food insecurity.

How Did WMS Join the Empty Bowls Effort?

The Westbrook Middle School Empty Bowls Project is an educational, creative, community service project that invites students and families from our school and community to join together to raise awareness about hunger-related issues. It is organized by the Climate and Outreach Committee of the WMS Parent Teacher Organization. It has received the support of our principal, Mrs. DiMaggio, as well as Superintendent Ciccone. School and district staff, teachers, and parents have started planning the project, and now that school is in session, students will join in as planners and participants in many aspects of the project.

What Makes Empty Bowls Unique?

We are all used to “events” where we gather together to have fun, learn about new ideas, or engage in creative tasks. The Empty Bowls Project is more than the soup dinner we will gather for in January; it is a shift in our thinking that puts a community (and world) concern in the forefront of our lives for a period of time. So…Empty Bowls is the day we all wear orange, AND it is the bowl-glazing sessions, AND it is the educational campaign that will go on all year, AND it is the Empty Bowls Soup Dinner. We hope that it will be come a valuable part of our school climate, in which we join together to think more carefully about the conditions of our world and consider multiple ways we can get involved to make things better.

How Can I Get Involved?

There are many ways to get involved! We will have several opportunities during the fall to glaze bowls under the guidance of WMS art teacher Mrs. Egan. (You don’t need any artistic experience to do this!) Check the schedule for a glazing session that works for you, or check with Mrs. Egan for other opportunities. There is no charge for glazing a bowl! If you want to become part of the planning process for the Empty Bowls Project, send a note to the email on our home page. If you are interested in being part of a student team working on other aspects of the project, see Mrs. Selmont. You can also check the bulletin board near the cafeteria for ideas about how to get involved in our community.

What is the Empty Bowls Soup Dinner?

On January 28, 2015, we will gather together in the WMS cafeteria to have a wonderful dinner of soups (donated by area restaurants & caterers) and bread. Everyone will have the opportunity to purchase a colorfully glazed bowl for their soup. When you leave, your empty bowl will be a reminder of all people who are unable to fill their bowls.