On Sunday November 1, nearly 200 people gathered at St. Hugh of Grenoble Catholic Church for the Empty Bowls Supper in support of the St. Hugh’s Food Pantry. Ticket holders chose a bowl crafted by a member of the Greenbelt Pottery Group, selected soup from among a dozen varieties, then bread and dessert, sat among neighbors and friends for conversation and to listen to music provided by members of the Greenbelt Orchestra and the Zookulele Collective and Dave. Additional pottery items were also available for sale. The bowls, food and entertainment were donated, so all of the money collected from ticket and pottery sales went to the food pantry. The event earned $7,080 to help mitigate food insufficiency in Greenbelt.
According to coordinator Mary Ann Tretler, the food pantry currently provides food for 60 Greenbelt families a week. Many sources throughout the community, including the Co-op, PORCH and Mishkan Torah, contribute food donations to the pantry. Despite these donations, the staff has to purchase additional food to meet the need, for which the Empty Bowls Supper is a significant source of monetary income. St. Hugh’s Ladies of Charity, of which Tretler is president, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the pantry which is housed in the basement of the church. Two years ago, the Ladies of Charity partnered with the Greenbelt Pottery Group to sponsor the long-standing Empty Bowls event. Its success prompted this year’s supper. Tretler told the News Review that she enjoys “the sense of community at the supper. Even councilmembers and members of Greenbelt Interfaith Leadership Association linger over dinner. Everyone shares a common goal.”
The Empty Bowls Supper took a village. Greenbelt Recreation Arts donated studio facilities, clay, glaze and kiln time. Beginning in February, some 40-50 members of the potters group contributed their skill and time to make 200 bowls. RUAK (Random Unselfish Acts of Kindness) provided food for all-day potters’ workday events. Greenbelt Access Television filmed and produced a public service announcement which the Greenbelt Cinema ran. The Greenbelt News Review published an article about the potters. Musicians entertained at the dinner. St. Hugh of Grenoble and the Ladies of Charity helped publicize the event, sold tickets and hosted the supper. The Greenbelt community came together to create an evening where people could gather, enjoy their friends, meet others and help their neighbors.
Knights of Columbus members David Pitts, Jerome Smallwood and Deacon Michael Brooks were the men behind the scenes. They set up the tables and chairs and worked in the kitchen heating up the soup. The trio also work together every year to cook an open Thanksgiving dinner at the church. “Reaching out to the community through food events is a way of putting our faith into action,” said Brooks.
“I wanted a bowl I could use for candy — one that is long and shallow,” Bernadette Onuorah told the News Review. Not surprisingly, she found one. Onuorah lived in Greenbelt for 25 years, but now lives in Bowie. However, she is still a member of St. Hugh’s and contributes regularly to the food pantry. She says that it is important to support the pantry “because there’s so much hunger.”
Daniel Warfield and his mother Louise Spangle, both residents of Greenbelt for about four years, attended the Empty Bowls Supper two years ago and returned this year because donating to the pantry is a good cause. Warfield said that it is a chance to have dinner with his mom, and “there are nice bowls, good soup and a great sense of community.” Spangle echoed that the supper is “a great community event.”
Ellen Weiss, Janice Wolf and Marcie Lissauer came to the supper together. Weiss and Lissauer are veterans of multiple Empty Bowls suppers at various locations both in Greenbelt and throughout the country. This was Wolf’s first experience. All three women were impressed by the selection of bowls and variety of soups available (including gluten free). Wolf told the News Review that she enjoyed the sense of community and “the chance to see people from the other activities in her life.” She also liked the music. Lissauer spoke for all three of the women: “We’re glad to participate and support the charity.”
Rabbi Saul Oresky of Mishkan Torah Synagogue and his wife Phyllis attended the supper to support a great cause and participate in the Greenbelt community. Mishkan Torah holds periodic food drives during the year in support of the food pantry, the largest of which is the Blue Bag drive which takes place during the High Holidays in September. Rabbi Oresky described the Empty Bowls Supper as an example of “tzedakah: a blend of charity and justice — reaching beyond the self to the community in need.”
