Fighting Hunger One Bowl at a Time

A+photo+of+the+Empty+Bowls+club+before+the+event

Emily Vinson

A photo of the Empty Bowls club before the event

Emily Vinson

On Tuesday, May 1, the Franklin High School Empty Bowls Club, along with the Franklin Food Pantry, hosted its 3rd annual fundraiser to raise awareness of hunger in Franklin. The Empty Bowls Dinner included a meal of soup and bread, silent auction items, a presentation describing how the problem of hunger affects the Franklin community, and the opportunity for guests to bring home their own ceramic bowl to represent the empty bowls around the world of those who don’t have enough food.


The event took place in the Franklin High School cafeteria, and many people came out to support Empty Bowls and the Franklin Food Pantry. Members of the Empty Bowls club and volunteers from the Franklin Food Pantry worked the event, selling tickets, serving soup, passing out bread, and giving guests ceramic bowls.

The club’s motto is, “Somewhere, someone’s bowl is empty,” to remind students that not everyone is fortunate enough to have food always available to them. Anna Balkus, a sophomore member of the Empty Bowls club, said, “It was a great night for a great cause.” Balkus served soup to the guests, and went on to say that working the event was “a lot of fun.”

Ms. Johnson, the Empty Bowls Club adviser, and a Ceramics teacher at Franklin High, has lead the club to produce 400 bowls for the event throughout the course of the year. The club works with K-12 art teachers, students from other Franklin schools, parents, and community members of Franklin. The event was a huge success, raising approximately $12,000 to support the end to hunger. Over the course of the past three years, the Empty Bowls club has raised $24,000, all of which goes to the Franklin Food Pantry. Ms. Johnson portrays her passion for the club when she states, “The Empty Bowls Club demonstrates the power of art education and showcases how collaboration, community investment, and civic responsibility can be taught in public school to students of all ages.” Be sure to attend next year’s 4th Annual Empty Bowls Dinner!

Stay updated on the Empty Bowls Club: Twitter: @FHS_emptybowls