Breaking Bread for a Good Cause
The second annual Empty Bowls community dinner and art event, held in the School's House Hall in mid-November, was a great success. More than $3,700 was raised for Urban Harvest STL, a nonprofit addressing hunger in the St. Louis area. That’s nearly $1,300 more than was raised at the inaugural event last year!
In the run-up to the evening, students and community members made scores of one-of-a-kind ceramic bowls under the guidance of Ceramics teacher Caitlin Heimerl (US’06). Some also created pieces for a silent auction during the dinner. And this year, with assistance from Lower School art teacher Louise Elmgren (C'84), students in grades 1–4 all made bowls—a vibrant addition to the display.
At the event, attendees chose a bowl, which they got to keep, and filled it with one of the many homemade soups that participants had contributed—including a pot of Pilgrim Soup made by the kindergarten class. Breads and desserts were on hand as well, and the room was packed. Faculty and staff members and current families from all levels attended. This year, a number of neighbors unfamiliar with Principia attended, many of whom said how much they enjoyed the loving, giving spirit of the event.
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. Earlier in the semester, students in the Sustainability classes taught by Lynne Scott (C’01) and Joel Allen had visited Urban Harvest’s Food Roof Farm to learn about urban agriculture and community development. At the dinner, they facilitated conversations about food security in St. Louis, shedding light on an important—but too-often invisible—topic.
What could be better than sharing a delicious meal with friends old and new—and in the process helping to ensure that those less fortunate have enough to eat as well!
Enjoy a few images from the evening in the slideshow below.