Since 2015, Maharishi School students have eagerly welcomed guests to the annual Empty Bowls event, a community effort that raises awareness and funds to combat hunger and food insecurity. This year’s event takes place on Sunday, March 15, from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. in the Student Center Kitchen at Maharishi School, located at 804 Dr. Robert Keith Wallace Drive. Guests are asked to RSVP by scanning the QR code. Payments are collected at the door.
Food insecurity remains a serious challenge both locally and statewide, affecting our communities. In Iowa alone, 385,130 people do not know where they will find their next meal, including 120,220 children. The annual meal gap in our state is nearly 73 million meals, and the additional funding needed to meet Iowa’s food needs exceeds $248.3 million. Closer to home, 13.6 percent of Jefferson County’s residents are food insecure, 1 in 5 youth (19.3 percent) face food insecurity, and 14.6 percent of households meet poverty criteria.
This year’s Empty Bowls event brings students together across grade levels. High school students have been crafting one-of-a-kind ceramic bowls in a class led by master potter Mark Wilkins, while 8th grade students in the Middle School are leading the planning by creating posters and designing educational info-graphics about food insecurity in Jefferson County. This project aligns with three of Maharishi School’s core values: responsibility, solutions, and service.
These unique bowls will be paired with a delicious selection of unlimited soups and bread for a $25 donation, and the bowl is yours to keep as a memento of your support in the fight against hunger. Guests can choose their own bowl and enjoy a simple, nourishing meal in community with neighbors, family, and friends who also support this mission to end food insecurity.
Again this year, the school wishes to express gratitude to the local businesses who helped with this effort. Maharishi School is supported by Everybody’s Whole Foods, which donated soup ingredients, and Breadtopia, which donated bread. All proceeds will be donated to a local organization fighting hunger or to Action Against Hunger.
The event takes place on Sunday, March 15, from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. in the Student Center Kitchen at Maharishi School, located at 804 Dr. Robert Keith Wallace Drive. Guests are asked to RSVP by scanning the QR code above. Payments are collected at the door.