Published by Spartanburg’s Herald-Journal on July 7, 2019
Converse College donates space for Hub City Empty Bowls event
Make a bowl for charity during one of two public pottery bowl-making sessions sponsored by Hub City Empty Bowls. The events will be held from 10 a.m. until noon and from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Converse College, 580 E. Main St., Spartanburg.
The bowls made during these events will be used later to raise money to feed needy residents through TOTAL Ministries, a faith-based agency that aids people in financial straits.
No talent or skill is needed to participate, only a creative community spirit and the desire to help those in need. All materials — clay, instruction, space — are provided at no cost. Participants will hand-shape clay bowls that will be left at Converse to be finished by experienced potters through the lead sponsoring agency Carolina Clay Artists.
In the fall, the finished bowls will be used at Soup Day, a community event that lets people select the bowls of their choice for $20 donations and then eat soup provided by local restaurants, hear live music, and enjoy the fellowship.
Several hundreds of colorful bowls of various styles and shapes are available on Soup Day. About two dozen restaurants provide the soup. And for the past few years, more than $30,000 has been raised each year.
“We are thrilled that Converse College has welcomed Hub City Empty Bowls on its campus for this event,” Chairman Bruce Bowyer said in a statement. “We are grateful for Converse’s generous community spirit in letting us use its studio space. This year, we also held bowl-making sessions at Wofford College and West Main Artists Co-op. Their contributions and involvement are vital to our success in making bowls that are turned into funds to help those in need. Thank you, Converse College, Wofford College, and West Main Artists Co-op for giving your resources and for caring about people who don’t have enough to eat.”
Hub City Empty Bowls, a nonprofit agency, is now in its 11th year of helping people who are “food insecure,” which is usually defined as not being sure you’ll have the resources for your next meal. Empty Bowls is an international and grassroots effort by clay potters to help feed the needy. There is no headquarters or central administration. Each community designs its fundraising program around the concept of using clay bowls made by residents to raise money to feed the needy. The exact ways and means are different for each community.
For more information about Hub City Empty Bowls, please visit online the Facebook page and the website: HubCityEmptyBowls.com.