“We are so excited about the results from this year’s Empty Bowls Project,” said Angelia Bostick, Executive Director of Good Samaritan Ministries. “And as exciting as it is to raise so much money for hunger relief, it was so encouraging to see the response from the community this year.”
By 2 p.m., Bostick said they had already seen more people than they did for the entire event last year and even though they didn’t sell out of bowls this year, there were only 175 bowls out of more than 1,000 that were still there when the serving lines ceased.
Those bowls will be on display and for sale by donations only at this year’s Easter Buffet held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 8 at the Howard Payne University Dining Hall.
Roughly 850 people attended the Empty Bowls Project at some time throughout the day on Thursday.
“There are so many things that contributed to this year’s success from those who painted bowls to those who fired them,” Bostick said, “Then there were those who sponsored VIP tables, donated to the store, provided soup and beans, our incredible sponsors and those who volunteered their time to serve at the event.”
This year’s sponsors were Big Country Ford Lincoln, Landmark Life Insurance, Texas Bank, TXU Energy and Wal-Mart. Their donations actually covered the cost of the event from buying paints and bowls to renting the coliseum.
“The sponsors were a new addition to the project this year, and I believe the event was such a success in large part to our sponsors,” Bostick said. “With the cost of the event covered, that insured that all of the money raised on the day of the event went directly to hunger relief.”
That means that all $16,000 that was raised through the Empty Bowls Project will go to fight hunger both locally and globally.
In addition to that, the sponsorship also provided the ability to purchase bowls and paint so that more of the community could participate in the painting of the bowls which generated more excitement for the project than ever before.
“We had more people than ever before helping us paint the bowls and we’ve never quite seen the excitement about the project as we did this year,” said Bostick. “I know I say it all the time, but we really do have just the most incredible community that always comes together when we need it.”
Bostick said she especially wanted to thank Howard Payne University for their partnership in the Empty Bowls Project.
“HPU is just a phenomenal partner and we couldn’t do Empty Bowls without them,” Bostick said. “This year, 1 in every 7 students at the university volunteered to help staff the event, and that’s not counting those who helped paint bowls and organize campus involvement.”
Bostick said plans are already underway to make next year’s event an even better success.
“We learn more each year that we do it and we try to improve every time,” she said. “We’re building on the excitement from this year and its momentum to continue to expand the project.”
Ninety percent of all of the proceeds will stay at GSM to provide food to Brown County residents through its hunger ministries: the food pantry, Food for Thought program and the Deer Project.
Ten percent will be tithed to Food for the Hungry, an international organization providing hunger relief in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
GSM and Howard Payne University will turn right around and partner once again for the annual Easter Buffet held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, April 8 at the HPU Dining Hall. Tickets will be $10 for adults ages 13 and older. Children five to 12 eat for $5 and children under five eat free.
For more information, please call 643-2273 or 203-2489.
