Tables lined with handcrafted ceramic bowls served as a visual reminder of the too often empty bowls of the hungry during Sunday's Empty Bowls Project held in the Park Place Dome.
In it's fifth year, the project has been the primary fund-raiser for the Fresh Food Partnership providing fresh, nutritious food from area farmers to those in need through food pantries and local shelters.
The Potters and Sculptors Guild of Northern Michigan along with area artisans and students donated more than 550 one-of-a-kind bowls to be taken home by attendees who came for a bowl of soup and a slice of bread donated by local restaurants and bakeries.
"This is a special event created by so many people who come together to assist people in need,” said Laura Otwell, Fresh Food Partnership coordinator, noting that the group hopes to purchase more than 50,000 pounds of produce from area farmers during the upcoming growing season.
More than 21,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables were purchased from more than 24 farmers in the six county region during the 2005 growing season. By purchasing these fresh foods, the partnership encourages and supports local agriculture as well as providing food to 34 area pantries and community meal programs.
In addition to providing fresh fruits and vegetables to area food programs, Bronwyn Jones, co-founder of the Fresh Food Partnership hopes to soon be able to offer produce through community health clinics.
"People that come in who are diabetic and hypertensive all have illnesses that will respond to a change in the diet,” said Jones, adding that the Partnership will work with dieticians to provide recipes and a healthy alternative to packaged foods.
"We all need to be able to make a tasty dish using items like kale,” Jones said.
For more information on the Fresh Food Partnership, call 929-3696 or visit www.freshfoodpartnership.org.