Sign of the Times

Thousands of people go hungry every day in Michigan, but the Mid-Michigan Food Bank spent Oct. 6 trying to feed Lansing one bowl at a time.

Empty Bowls is an annual fundraiser put on by the Mid-Michigan Food Bank that generates funds to purchase food for pantries across the Lansing area. More than 800 bowls made by local potters were donated for the cause to be sold to fundraiser participants.

“In all of our counties, and with all of our feeding programs, there are reports of a 10 to 30 percent increase in the number of people we’re seeing (in the food pantries),” said Kathe Smith, operations supervisor of the Mid-Michigan Food Bank. “That number of people really increased over the summer, and it’s just going up as we go into the fall.”

Area restaurants donated soup and bread to be served in the ceramic bowls. The meals were purposefully light, and participants were sent home with their bowls empty.

“A simple meal of soup, water and bread (is served) to remind you that this is bare bones,” said Judy Labovitz, coordinator of the Greater Lansing Potters’ Guild. “You can always look at that bowl and remember that (it) is empty right now and someone else’s bowl is empty, and may not have the capacity to fill it.”