The 19th annual Empty Bowl fundraiser event took place on Dec. 4 with aims to continue the efforts of ETHS students and community members to help fight hunger and food instability in Evanston. 

     The event was run by the Community Service Club, a student-led group offering a variety of community service opportunities each month.

     “I think the event ran extremely smoothly, and I’m so proud of us because we were all new to this process,” senior and anti-hunger committee member Madeleine Ross said. “Everyone seemed to have a good time, and we got to see all of our hard work pay off in the end, so it was great.”

     In total, the committee garnered an attendance of around 400 students and raised over $4,000, all of which will be used to support anti-hunger work in Evanston through organizations including Soup at Six, Hillside Food Pantry, the Giving Storeroom, and Interfaith Action. 

     One unique aspect of Empty Bowl is that all of the soups, ceramics and cookies sold were made by ETHS students and volunteers; a silent auction including contributions by the Evanston Art Center and the Midwest Clay Guild was also available. 

     “[Empty Bowl is] made so much more amazing by the fact that so many different people are playing a role because it shows the impact we can make by adding just one part in order to make a huge event for hundreds of people that raises a lot of money,” Ross said. 

     Pulling off such a large event required months of continuous planning to ensure that every detail went as planned. This planning included weekly meetings where the organizers would work with each other and their partners to coordinate the multi-faceted meal.

     “For a couple of months now, our […] Empty Bowl planning committee worked hard to coordinate with ceramics [and] culinary [classes], local bakeries and local ceramic [stores] for donations, as well as ETHS Nutrition Services, to put on a fantastic event,” community service coordinator Diana Balitaan said. 

     As one of the biggest community service events of the year, Empty Bowl, in addition to raising money, creates a welcoming space for Evanstonians to join in community efforts. 

      “I think Empty Bowl is as much for people at ETHS and Evanston community as the organizations we donate to. It gives people at ETHS a fun and accessible way to make a difference,” Ross said.