Empty Bowls has been a highly appreciated service event held at Shipley during an early winter month each year to raise awareness of food insecurity within the larger Philadelphia community. In the past, participants were asked to purchase bowls, often decorated by Shipley students of all ages, filled with hearty soups. The money raised in the purchase of these dinner filled bowls would be in turn donated to multiple charities that assist the homeless. The main purpose of the event is to build community spirit and to help the homeless and other people in need, while demonstrating to them that they are cared for and valued.

However, over the past few years, the Empty Bowls event has been very problematic for the school as it has drawn only a modest 75 people despite annual anticipation by participating faculty members who stress by crafting and filling an anticipated 150 bowls. Thus, a decision was made that would solve both problems: to combine both MLK Day of Service with the Empty Bowls event, converting to an Empty Bowls breakfast in lieu of a soup dinner. 

In contrast to previous events, the Empty Bowls breakfast filled participant bowls with simple breakfasts foods such as oatmeal, hot chocolate, breakfast bars, and applesauce. Then, these bowls were in gift bags which were delivered to multiple organizations. For example, some bowls were delivered to the People’s Emergency Center, residents moving from an emergency center to traditional or permanent housing. Also, participants were able to make produce bags for Sanctuary Farms Phila which the organization can use for the vegetables they grow. 

Another rationale prompting the service team change was that it supports the true intent of Martin Luther King who was individually concerned about poverty along with the economy, jobs, and other problems that relate to our community. “Sure, Martin Luther King was very much into building the beloved community,” Ms. Winters notes. “And how do we do that? The first thing we can do is build community ourselves, so us gathering on MLK day is probably one of the first things he would say we could do.” 

Ms. Winters hopes that by “updating” the event, it will evolve over the next few years as it becomes a service learning activity combined with a community event. As she puts it, “we’re learning about poverty and food insecurity, and we’re doing some actions that hopefully will touch the hearts of the people with whom we’re sharing.”