Combatting Hunger with Creativity and Commitment
There’s nothing quite like being invited to enjoy a bowl of hot, homemade soup amid warm company on a cold fall evening . . . And when you get to choose and keep the beautiful handmade bowl containing your soup, that’s even more delicious!
However, as our Upper School students learned this fall through classwork and cross-disciplinary collaboration, there are plenty of people in the St. Louis area who do not enjoy the luxury of a healthy meal each day. In response to the prevalence of hunger in the area, teachers and students from three classes joined forces to organize and host Empty Bowls, a community dinner in early November that served both an educational and philanthropic purpose.
Sustainability class students and their teacher Lynne Scott (C’01) established a connection with Urban Harvest STL, a local nonprofit that grows healthy produce in urban farms to improve food security and access. Art teacher Caitlin Heimerl (US’06), seeking ways for her Ceramics students to use art in the service of community, had them create hand-built and wheel-thrown bowls especially for the event as part of their coursework. (Heimerl and her class also hosted a Saturday afternoon throw-a-thon for members of the Principia community to make bowls for the event.) Finally, students in Digital Design, taught by Kristin Martin (US’94, C’98), created table tents with context and information about hunger in the St. Louis area for use at the event.
“I really liked how unique this event was,” says senior Lindsey Huffman, who made several bowls during class and after hours. “It was a way to think outside the box in terms of service—by using art to make a difference in the world!”
About a dozen members of the Principia community volunteered to provide soups, bread, and desserts for the potluck dinner, which was attended by more than 120 guests. Diners donated a minimum of $10 per person toward the meal and bowl. And many guests bid on one or more of the 15 bowls that were part of a silent auction. During the dinner, Clare Higgins, executive director of Urban Harvest STL, explained how, through its network of rooftop and other gardens, the organization engages community members in producing nutritious food, most of which is then donated to nonprofits that combat hunger in the St. Louis area.
“The educational piece was really exciting,” says Heimerl. “It was very motivating for the students to see that their work was having a role in supporting our broader community.”
In addition to raising awareness of a deep need and of the creative ways in which students can make a difference, the Principia Empty Bowls event raised more than $2,400 for Urban Harvest STL.