Working to Give: Philanthropies & Philanthropic Work

In Springfield, Ohio, one school is using its hands to help those in need. Matthew Johnson has taught his students in his Art II class how to use a pottery wheel and how to make bowls. Each student is keeping one bowl – and turning out hundreds more to be given away during their “Empty Bowls” fundraising dinners in Urbana and Bellefontaine.

The Empty Bowls project first started in 1990 when a high school art teacher in Michigan had this idea. Now, for the Empty Bowls evening, attendees will pay $15 for a meal of soup and bread and will have a hand-crafted bowl to take home. The money raised during the evenings will help the food banks, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties, to collect, store and distribute over 526,000 pounds of food each year.

Last year, Johnson’s students made 435 bowls for the events and this year they have already finished 85 and have another 100 they are working on now.

Springfield University is also going to host a dinner to benefit Second Harvest on March 31 from 4:30pm until 7pm at the Student Union Center. Art students from Wittenberg made the bowls for that event. The Champaign County event with the student bowls from Springfield will be on February 25th at Urbana University from 5-7pm at hte Student Union Center. The Logan County event, also featuring the student bowls, will be on April 28th from 5-7 at the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center.