Lunch at Sonoma Valley High School (SVHS) has been raised to a new level of social consciousness thanks to the Empty Bowls project.
Bringing together unique, handmade ceramic bowls and homemade corn chowder, students are learning about the big problem of world hunger while giving back to the small community in which they live. In early December, students took orders and sold their first bowls filled with soup to teachers, raising $200 they will donate to Friends in Sonoma Helping.
Students in Peggy Feuer’s Art 1 class created the colorful and often meaningful bowls. The Plein Air Foundation supports the arts program at SVHS with a grant, part of which was used to purchase the glazes for the ceramic bowls. The soup is courtesy of the talented culinary arts students taught by Brigitta Crews.
“The class talked about world hunger so the students understand what this project is about on a larger scale,” said Feuer. “Some of my students receive assistance from FISH and know that this is a chance to do something in return. They get that.”
Local organic gardens donated some of the produce for the soup and Crews would like to see that aspect grow and continue, even using supplies from the school’s own sustainable garden in the future.
“I tell the students, ‘If you have a skill, you can use that to give back,’” said Crews. “This is the stuff that builds self-esteem. It gives you good karma and helps other people in the process.”
Art teacher Feuer brought Empty Bowls to Sonoma Valley High School but the project got its start 10 years ago at a suburban Detroit high school. It’s done differently everywhere although the concept is the same – fill the bowls while thinking about all the other empty bowls in the world.
Feuer and Crews plan to hold two Empty Bowls’ soup sales each month – a bargain at $7.50 including the handmade bowl. The next one is scheduled for January.
