Since the first event, The Clay Connection has distributed over $130,000 among several charities located in the Washington Metropolitan area that lead the fight against hunger.

Its roots

Empty Bowls began in 1990 as an art class project in a Michigan high school to raise funds for a food drive. Students made ceramic bowls, served a meal of soup and bread, and invited guests to keep the bowl as a reminder of hunger in the world.

By the following year the organizers had developed this idea into the Empty Bowls Project and established the imagine|RENDER Group, a 501(c)3 organization designed to promote the concept.

Since its inception, this simple project has evolved into a far-reaching program providing support for food banks, soup kitchens, and other organizations that fight hunger. Empty Bowls events have been held throughout the world, raising millions of dollars for use in combating hunger.

The basic idea for Empty Bowls is straightforward:

  • Participants create ceramic bowls, then serve a simple meal of soup and bread.
  • Guests choose a bowl to use during the meal and to keep as a reminder that there are always Empty Bowls in the world.
  • In exchange for a meal and the bowl, the Guest contributes a recommended minimum donation.
  • The Meal Sponsor selects a hunger-fighting organization to receive the collected donations.
  • Any organization fighting hunger qualifies.
  • All funds raised under the name of Empty Bowls must be used for fighting hunger.

Additional information on the Empty Bowls Concept is available at the imagine|RENDER web site

The Clay Connection’s Involvement

The Clay Connection began sponsoring its own Empty Bowls Charity Event in 1993 after Fran Newquist read an article on the Empty Bowls Project in a 1991 issue of American Ceramics and asked the image|RENDER Group to provide an information packet on this event.

After reviewing the information packet, the Board of Directors decided that this was the perfect cause for the membership’s resources and time. Fran, along with Jane Cullum and Joan Brown, worked to sponsor The Clay Connection’s first Empty Bowls Charity Event.

Since the first event, The Clay Connection has distributed over $130,000 among several charities located in the Washington Metropolitan area that lead the fight against hunger.

The event itself has evolved into a true community project.

  • Volunteers organize and run the event.
  • Area potters donate their hand-crafted bowls.
  • Local restaurants, bakeries, and individuals donate soup, bread, and dessert.
  • Live musical entertainers, clowns, face painters, and pottery demonstrators donate their time to make this a fun and educational event for all.
  • Recipient charities provide information on their activities related to fighting hunger.

Although sponsored by The Clay Connection, membership in the organization is not a requirement of participation. Many of the event-night volunteers are not potters, and many of the potters who donate bowls to the event are not members of The Clay Connection.In fact, although local potters donate most of the bowls available during the Soup Supper, scouting troops, high school pottery students, and adult students at recreational facilities also make and donate bowls to this event.

Other innovative programs designed to join the fight to end hunger

CANstruction: A National Charity of the Design and Construction Industry created by the Society of Design Administration. Additional information is available at www.canstruction.org

Volunteers

The Clay Connection's Empty Bowls Charity Event has grown to the point that our potters are no longer able to effectively plan an event of this magnitude. As a result, The Clay Connection welcomes community members, both potters and non-potters alike, to become involved in the planning aspects of this worthwhile event.

While much of the organizing occurs in the months prior to the actual event, many volunteers are needed during the actual event to help set up the facility, greet attendees, accept donations, ladle soup, replenish supplies, and pack-up after the event.

Following the event, volunteers help with the pesky paperwork that tend to follow all successful events: accounting for and distributing proceeds, thanking participants, contacting the news media, and documenting the event results, to name a few.

To volunteer to serve on the organizing committee or to help during or immediately following the event, review the following job list, fill out the volunteer form, and mail it to

The Clay Connection, Post Office Box 3214, Merrifield, VA 22116-3214
or email it to emptybowls@theclayconnection.org


Planning Committee Responsibilities

    Food Coordination
  • Obtain beverages, bread, dessert and soup donations
    • Facility Coordination
  • Identify appropriately sized facility
  • Negotiate reservation
    • Bowl Coordination
  • Bowl Donation Coordinator
  • Table Rentals
    • Entertainment
  • Determine entertainment needs (note: past events have included clowns, face-painters, music, and pottery demonstrations)
    • Publicity
  • Public Relations Coordinator
  • Publicity Coordinator
  • Print Promotions Coordinator
  • Photography
  • Contact local newspapers
  • Develop and issue press releases
  • Develop event night program
    • Silent Auction Coordinator
  • Coordinate donations from local potters
    • Finances
  • Bookkeeper/Accountant Coordinator
  • Cashier Coordinator
    • Charity Liaison
  • Identify recipient charities
  • Coordinate press releases
    • Supplies
  • Inventory available supplies
  • Purchase needed supplies
    • Final Activities
  • Develop Certificate of Appreciation
    • Volunteer Coordinator
  • Take-down Coordinator(s)
  • Set up directional signs
  • Set-up Coordinator(s)
  • Bowl Wiper Coordinator
  • Kitchen (Chef) Coordinator
  • Crowd Control

Event Night Responsibilities

    Food Coordination
  • Beverages
  • Bread
  • Dessert
  • Soup
    • Facility Coordination
  • Parking Attendants Coordinator
  • Take-down Coordinator(s)
  • Directional Signs
    • Set-up Coordinator(s)
  • Bowl Wiper Coordinator
  • Kitchen (Chef) Coordinator
  • Crowd Control
    • Bowl Coordination
  • Bowl Display Coordinator
    • Entertainment
  • Clowns Coordinator
  • Music Coordinator
  • Pottery Demonstration Coordinator
  • Silent Auction Coordinator
  • Set-Up
    • Finances
  • Cashiers
  • Banker
    • Supplies
  • Supplies Coordinator
  • Inventory
  • Purchase


After the Event Responsibilities

    Publicity
  • Public Relations Coordinator
  • Publicity Coordinator
    • Print Promotions Coordinator
  • Photography
    • Silent Auction Coordinator
  • Arrange for delivery/pick up of pieces by winning bidder
    • Finances
  • Determine total donations
  • Provide donations to The Clay Connection Treasurer for distribution to the Charities
    • Supplies
  • Final inventory
    • Final Activities
  • Mailings & Fulfillment Coordinator
  • ‘Thank-You’ Coordinator