Many lined up, handmade bowls in hand, to devour soup at the sixth annual Empty Bowls Night on May 3 in the MLK room. The guests departed with appetites sated, their admission fee going to fill other stomachs in Brookline.
At Empty Bowls Night, organized by School Within a School social-action committee Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is (PYMWYMI), all profits from ticket sales went directly to the Brookline Food Pantry. In addition to the meal, attendees received handcrafted bowls made by students enrolled in ceramics classes at the high school. Committee members contributed some of the event’s food, Restaurant 108 donated the chicken soup, and Whole Foods donated an assortment of fruit, salad, and cheese and crackers, according to SWS English teacher Abby Erdmann, PYMWYMI’s adviser.
In the last two years, there has been a 50 to 60 percent increase in Brookline residents requiring use of the town’s food pantry, according to senior Lia Parker-Belfer, a PYMWYMI member.
For many of the committee members, the time to take action against hunger in Brookline is now.
Senior Emy Takinami, who has been with PYMWYMI since her sophomore year, enjoys seeing guests come together for a meal that will in turn provide many meals to others in need.
“I love how everyone is gathered to eat out of these handmade bowls,” said Takinami. “This year especially, the Brookline Food Pantry seriously needs donations, considering how many residents now need access to its food. It’s been great being able to support that.”
For Erdmann, a favorite part of the evening was watching student passion for the community and social action unfold.
“I love seeing how committed students are,” said Erdmann. “I didn’t do anything with the soup; the kids were running around taking responsibility for a cause they are dedicated to.”
The group, consisting of a shifting constituency that hovers around 10 people, collaborated to organize the event at weekly meetings.
According to Erdmann, many in the school community pitched in to make Empty Bowls Night a success, donating everything from bowls to food. The event raised more than $1,100 for the Brookline Food Pantry.
Parker-Belfer says that through planning Empty Bowls Night, she felt more involved not only in her own SWS community, but also in the Brookline community at large.
“I think the work we do is really important, especially because we’re working for something as local as the Brookline Food Pantry,” said Parker-Belfer. “It feels so necessary to give back to the community in which we live.”
Sophomore Josh Bilchik not only attended Empty Bowls Night, but also donated a bowl he made in ceramics.
“It was cool seeing someone with my bowl, knowing it had gone to a good cause,” said Bilchik. “I got to have fun in ceramics and help the community.”
As the evening wound down, Parker-Belfer commented that she hoped guests would find an underlying meaning in Empty Bowls Night.
“I know I was shocked when I heard of the major rise in those needing access to the food pantry,” said Parker-Belfer. “I hope everyone had a great night, but I also hope we all recognize how lucky we are to have events like this and food on our own tables.”
Miriam El-Baz can be contacted at [email protected].
