A History of the Empty Bowls Fundraiser

John Hartom – Empty Bowls

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In November 1990, art teacher John Hartom wanted students at Lahser High School in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (pop. 3,940), to participate in a local food drive, so he came up with a unique idea—students would craft ceramic bowls, invite the faculty to a soup lunch and request donations.

Students loved the idea, and on the day of the lunch, Hartom and his wife, Lisa Blackburn, also an art educator, spoke to the group about hunger. At the end of the meal, they related how students and teachers weren’t hungry because they had just eaten, while many in the community still had empty bowls. Hartom then invited the staff to keep the empty ceramic bowls as a reminder of those less fortunate.

“There was a moment of stunned silence, and the whole environment changed,” says Hartom, 59. “In that moment, Lisa and I knew something special had happened—and that we had a responsibility to make it happen again.”

By the following year, the couple had created an information packet of materials, using that first event as a model for others to emulate, which they presented to art teachers and at pottery shops and conferences during their summer travels throughout New England. They also created Empty Bowls, a nonprofit organization, and helped raise more than $1 million that year for World Food Day, Oct. 16.

Over the next few years, the Empty Bowls idea spread, and Hartom eventually retired from teaching in 1999 to devote more time to the cause.

Today, schools from elementary to college level, civic organizations and individuals sponsor community Empty Bowls events in almost every state.

“Although the Empty Bowls organization provides guidance to those wishing to hold a fundraising event, they are primarily hands off. We only ask organizers to use the Empty Bowls name and to distribute money locally,” says Hartom, who now lives in Burnsville, N.C. (pop. 1,623).

Overall, tens of millions of dollars have been raised through Empty Bowls events around the country. Each sponsoring organization decides where to donate funds, he says, so all money raised benefits local food banks, soup kitchens and shelters.

Bridget Hauser has spearheaded an annual Empty Bowls fundraiser for 10 years in Dripping Springs, Texas (pop. 1,548). “There’s such great community support that we often have more volunteers than we need,” she says. “More than 1,000 colorful bowls, made by area potters, were donated for last year’s event.”

Hauser even contacted Hartom about attending her Texas fundraiser. “He politely declined,” Hauser says. “John said, ‘It’s not about me.’ He didn’t want his presence to detract from local workers.”

The soup lunch raised $25,000 last year for the Dripping Springs Helping Hands food pantry, more than half its annual budget. “These funds let us supplement donations of canned goods with fresh items like eggs, cheese and meat,” says Mike Cave, president of Helping Hands. “With this money were able to offer a variety of groceries at no cost, so we can let families shop for foods they actually want and will eat.”

Events in larger cities often include silent auctions or art sales and can bring in donations totaling up to $100,000. But wherever an Empty Bowls event is held, the basic concept remains the same: In exchange for a donation—usually between $10 and $20—participants get a meal and a bowl to remind them of hunger.

“Empty Bowls events educate people and provide a means to create positive and lasting change in their own communities,” Hartom says. “The empty bowl has become a metaphor for the power people feel when they help erase world hunger.”

Hauser embraces that powerful feeling. “All I had to do was act,” she says. “Now I don’t think I’ll ever stop.”

History of Empty Bowls was accessed from the Empty Bowls website in July of 2022

A History of the Las Cruces Empty Bowls Fundraiser

The Las Cruces New Mexico project began in 1993 by Cally Williams, who had heard about the event at an international ceramics conference. Cally was the first chair, with over 500 bowls crafted and 448 sold for $10 each.  Tatsu was the only restaurant that donated soup. 

From the beginning, the Potters’ Guild of Las Cruces hosted community workdays, and studio potters generously donated bowls. We are grateful to NMSU and artists for opening up their studios for the Empty Bowls project.  Guild members host group events where clay artists help the public, including children, participate in making bowls. The fund raising event now includes a silent auction generously supported by Mesilla Valley Estate Sales and a quilt raffle. 

The Pottery Guild is pleased to note that the 2021 event raised $34,418, the MOST ever!

Sadly, hunger remains in Las Cruces and the need for Empty Bowls has not lessened. The Potters’ Guild of Las Cruces, in partnership with El Caldito Soup Kitchen, and St. Paul’s Methodist Church, has made Las Cruces Empty Bowls the longest running fundraising event in New Mexico. El Caldito Soup Kitchen depends on the Empty Bowls event to provide funds that help offer thousands of meals each year. The 2022 fundraiser will be our 30^th Empty Bowls event. Please join us on October 14