The University of Tennessee at Martin and We Care Ministries Inc. will co-host the 19th-annual Empty Bowls event from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Nov. 19, in the Boling University Center Duncan Ballroom at 11 Wayne Fisher Drive in Martin.
Empty Bowls, a fundraiser to fight hunger one bowl at a time, was founded in 2003 by retired UT Martin art professor and potter, David McBeth. Donors will receive a handcrafted bowl for each $15 donation with all proceeds supporting We Care Ministries, Inc. The bowls are made by McBeth; Jason Woolery, lecturer in the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts; and UT Martin students. Because of the pandemic, the traditional Empty Bowls soup meal will return for the first time since 2019. With each donation, guests will be able to enjoy an all-you-can-eat soup lunch provide by community members.
The project not only benefits the community, but also serves as a hands-on learning opportunity for students. “Students gain a sense of community by helping with the bowl making and glazing and by helping with the project the day of the event,” said McBeth.
We Care Ministries was founded in 1973 and receives no government funding. All monetary donations are used to assist Weakley County families through 11 assistance programs that include the food bank, education and literacy, childcare and direct aid.
Information about the Empty Bowls fundraiser is available at www.martinemptybowls.com and www.facebook.com/martinemptybowls. McBeth can be reached at mcbeth@utm.edu, and Woolery is available at jwooler1@utm.edu.
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