Empty Bowls is a non-profit event put on by the 5Cities Homeless Coalition (5CHC), to bring people together and raise awareness of the challenges the homeless face. This year, for the first time, Arroyo Grande High School’s Advanced Ceramics class made and donated bowls to help the cause.
“I reached out and said that I’d be happy to [donate bowls],” Advanced Ceramics teacher Julissa Andrade said. “It wasn’t until this year that I honestly felt well-equipped and prepared enough to [donate bowls].”
Community members donate the bowls they make to 5CHC to give out at their event, Empty Bowls. To attend the event, a person must purchase a ticket. Once they get their ticket, they go to the event and choose a bowl that they can either take home empty or filled with soup made by various local restaurants in the area.
“This event provides individuals in our community with a way to help,” Executive Director of the 5CHC Janna Nichols said.“We have intentionally kept the price at the original amount of $25, to ensure that many of our neighbors can come to the luncheon and know that they are making a difference.”
This organization is a great way to expose students to helping the community in a way that is both fun to them and beneficial to others.
“Donating bowls helped me feel more connected to my community because I know that someone else has my handmade pieces in their home now,” Advanced Ceramics student Dana Petker (‘25) said.
Petker is in her second year of ceramics and works at The Pottery in Grover Beach. This was her first year participating in Empty Bowls, and she donated 3 hand-made bowls to the event.
“I really liked donating to this event because it placed higher importance on my work,” Petker said. “[Donating to Empty Bowls] allowed me to take more time making my bowls, knowing it would be for someone else.”
The event features creations made by all community members and centralizes their passion for ceramics by bringing them together for a meaningful cause.
“We were looking for a way to bring our community together regardless of faith, political view, or income level,” Nichols said. “It is truly about the many caring people in our community helping our Coalition help those in need.”
Andrade attended the event and noted how beautiful and unique everything was.
“There were so many more people than I thought there was going to be,” Andrade said with a smile. “From start to finish it was really packed.”
Through Empty Bowls, students can become more connected to their community and truly feel they have made a difference in other people’s lives.
“Overall it was great to see people in my class work so hard on a bowl that is for a stranger,” Petker said. “And [it was incredible to see everyone] take so much time and concentration for this project as a whole.”
