Empty Bowls help feed the Pine Belt’s hungry

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - Every month, the Edwards Street Fellowship Center attends to some 2,000 families of the Pine Belt who don’t have enough to eat.

“Empty Bowls” helps keep the non-profit pantry in enough food to feed the hungry.

The annual fundraising event, which was staged Saturday morning in downtown Hattiesburg, reminds people of the empty bowls far too many face on a daily basis.

“The premise of it is remind people of all the empty bowls in our community,” said Ann McCullen, Edwards Street Fellowship Center executive director. “So, hopefully, when they look at (a) bowl, and they’re enjoying food, they remember that some people may not have had a meal to eat today.

“Then, they’ll try and reach out, whether it’s to us or a soup kitchen or any other feeding program and just make a difference for the community.”

Empty Bowls is a grassroots movement to raise money for food-related charities that was started by artists and crafts people that has spread to cities and towns around the world.

In Hattiesburg, participants picked from a variety of ceramic bowls available at Main Street Books that were designed, made and decorated by Pine Belt artist and organizations.

People could then make their way across the street for a bowl of soup, a chunk of bread and some sort of dessert. All the food was donated by more than 20 area restaurants.

The bowl and the meal, together, required $25,

Saturday’s event marked the 11th year Empty Bowls had been held in Hattiesburg.

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