Community members gathered at the Martin Interfaith Student Center Thursday, Nov. 16, to raise $1,910 for the Weakley County We Care Food Bank with the help of a pottery project called Empty Bowls.

David McBeth, professor of Fine Arts at UT Martin, established the local food drive efforts four years ago. McBeth has been involved with this project for the past decade since he heard about it from a fellow ceramics artist.

Empty Bowls is the pottery artisan’s unique attempt to convey how many people go to bed hungry at night because there is no food to fill their bowls. McBeth made close to 300 ceramic bowls to be bought with all proceeds going to We Care. In a presentation demonstrating the making of his 900 pounds worth of clay artwork, McBeth said, “Going to bed hungry in this day and age doesn’t make any sense to me.”

This is such a strong issue for McBeth that he footed the bill for all materials and spent a month during his busy schedule to make all the bowls. Large bowls fetched a $20 donation, while smaller bowls garnered a $10 donation.

Those in attendance did not go to bed hungry. From 5 to 7 p.m., people gladly filled their bowls with the wide variety of soups being offered. A meal of soup and bread came with each bowl purchase, and only $5 without a bowl. Students got to eat for free. Martin Cumberland Presbyterian, Martin First United Methodist, St. James Episcopal, St. Jude Roman Catholic, and Trinity Presbyterian provided the soup, bread and drinks for the event.

Betty Baker, the director of Weakley County’s We Care Food Bank, presented McBeth with a plaque in recognition of his efforts to raise money for families less fortunate. During the past few years, the Empty Bowls Project has raised over $10,000.

This year, McBeth hopes to raise $6,000 before Christmas to help families as the holiday season arrives. In the past, enough money has been raised to purchase a walk-in cooler and a walk-in freezer for We Care’s kitchen.

If you were unable to attend the Empty Bowls supper and would like to receive a bowl for a $20 donation, contact We Care Ministries at 731-587-6257.