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Chattanooga: Empty Bowls project fights local hunger

By: Clint Cooper
(Contact)

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More than 275 people have been bowling at the Jewish Cultural Center recently, but the only strike in their sight is hunger in the community.

Over the last two weeks, Chattanoogans from 2-year-olds to 90-year-olds have created ceramic bowls that will support the Jewish Community Federation of Greater Chattanooga’s delivered meals program.

The organization’s request for Mitzvah Meals has increased 25 percent in the last year, according to Ann Treadwell, programs and development director. By the end of the year, she said, program volunteers will have delivered between 4,000 and 4,500 meals.

“That’s partially a response to the downturn in the economy,” said Michael Dzik, executive director of the federation.

Empty Bowls is an 18-year-old Michigan-based national project which provides support for food banks, soup kitchens and other organizations that fight hunger such as the Jewish Community Federation.

“Their idea is for the country to come together from the making of art,” according to local craft artist Lolly Durant, regional coordinator for the project.

She said ceramic bowls are a perfect vehicle because they are usable, each is unique and the young and not-so-young can make them.

The Jewish Federation uses a grant from LifeWorks Foundation of Nashville to buy the clay discs. The foundation helps organizations in starting Empty Bowls events.

Bowl makers personalize the look of their bowls by making sacred or secular impressions on what will become their insides. The discs are then bent over a balloon to shape them and painted with colored clay.

After drying, the bowls are fired in a kiln, covered with a clear glaze and fired again. When the process is complete, the gray clay is white — with the exception of the painted areas — and has a shiny glaze.

About 275 finished bowls — including ones made by artists such as Kem Alexander, Ms. Durant and Mark Issenberg — will be on display Dec. 1-7 at the Jewish Cultural Center.

On Dec. 7, the center will host an event in which members of the community may purchase bowls — at a minimum of $10 — for home use or holiday giving. In addition, the bowls made by area craft artists also will be auctioned. A simple soup and bread meal also will be offered.

Bowls not purchased that day will be available through Dec. 21, the first day of Hanukkah.

In addition, between Dec. 7 and Dec. 21, the organization will collect nonperishable food products to help stock the Chattanooga Food Bank, a partner agency of the Jewish Community Federation.

The whole project, Ms. Treadwell said, is emblematic of the organization’s effort to create community.

People involved with the Jewish Community Federation have made the bowls, others involved may buy the bowls, still others may come see the bowls and, eventually, people involved with the federation will receive Mitzvah Meals.

“We see ourselves connecting people who want to be engaged with other people,” said Ms. Treadwell. “It’s people believing in people in the community.”

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