Empty Bowls will feed the hungry

NEWTON — Students enrolled in studio arts classes at Kittatinny Regional High School designed and created works of art to help raise money to combat hunger in Sussex County. The Empty Bowls project started in Michigan 20 years ago. The concept was to create a ceramic bowl, then serve a simple meal of soup and bread. Guests would choose a bowl to use that day and keep it as a reminder that there are always empty bowls in the world. In exchange for a meal and the bowl, guests would give a suggested minimum donation. Over the years, the project evolved but the original concept remained the same; to feed hungry people. The funds provide support for food banks, soup kitchens and other organizations that fight hunger. Under the direction of KRHS art teachers Heather Anderson and George Soutter, students offered their original pottery and art creations for sale at the school’s holiday craft fair. Each piece of art sold from $2 to $15. The Kittatinny teachers have been holding these fundraisers for the past several years and this year’s sale was one of their most successful years, raising more than $400 which was donated to the Manna House, a local soup kitchen in Newton. “We felt that this would be a great way to create art for a good cause and to give back to the community,” said Anderson.