Apr 5, 2018 3 min read

Waynesburg University Bonner Scholars are helping kids in the county’s five school districts fight hunger, one empty bowl at a time.

Empty Bowls Greene County, beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday, will be serving up a delicious lunch of homemade soups, artisan breads and deserts – all donated by local businesses, organizations and individuals – at the National Guard Readiness Center located at 500 Evergreen Drive near Waynesburg.

In keeping with the “empty bowls” tradition that started as a class project in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., in 1990 and has now spread worldwide, there will be tables of ceramic bowls for luncheon goers to choose from, made and donated by Waynesburg students. There is also a silent auction of donated goods to bid on, including ceramics from local artists, including Laura Schlesinger, PA Mug Co. and Winegar Pottery.

All donations go to the Weekend Food Program that serves more than 200 kids in the county whose families are going through hard economic times, Community Foundation of Greene County Executive Director Betty Stammerjohn said.

Packets of kid-friendly food are given for the weekend to students in need. The program started in two school districts in 2012 and by 2014 was offered in all districts and now includes Intermediate Unit l classrooms.

“The anecdotal stories I’ve heard is that teachers notice the difference on Monday morning with the level of energy they see and less behavioral problems,” Stammerjohn said.

This year’s Empty Bowls is cohosted by Waynesburg University senior history major Kenny Knouse and nursing major Sydney Green, who has been at it since she was a sophomore. They are part of a team of fellow Bonner students, many of whom are freshmen just learning the ropes. The bowls were created and glazed in university art instructor Andy Heisey’s ceramics studio.

The Bonner Program chose Empty Bowls as a community service project in 2014. Students partnered with the Community Foundation to support and sustain the Weekend Food Program for students in the county’s school districts.

“Their choice is so important because this program needs community support,” Stammerjohn said. “Each district provides nutrition for children over the weekend who may not be able to get good meals outside of school. All the money raised through Empty Bowls goes back to the schools to buy this food.”

According to Feeding America, a national hunger advocacy organization, there are 1,450 children in Greene County who live with food insecurity. School workers who notice signs of hunger in some of these students contact families for permission be part of the program.

Last year’s event brought in about $3,500. All donations are tax deductable,.

“This is a regular fundraiser that really makes a difference,” Stammerjohn said.

It costs about $32,000 to fund the program that is also supported by churches, civic organizations, businesses and individuals.

“I have one gentleman who sends a donation twice a month. It’s for a certain school district but its money that district can count on,” Stammerjohn said.

This year, Waynesburg students have made bowls, some more symbolic than useful, like the one with a heart shaped hole in the bottom that is Heisey’s favorite.

“I think that one really tells the story of what fighting hunger is all about,” Heisey said.

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $15 at the offices of Community Foundation and the WU Center for Service Leadership. Tickets are available at the door for $20.