CAT sponsors Tecumseh Empty Bowls event Jan. 21, proceeds to support the Salvation Army

By DEB WUETHRICH

Members of Community Arts of Tecumseh (CAT) hope that individuals living and working in and around the city will visit Evans Street Station for lunch on Thursday, Jan. 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to take part in an Empty Bowls event.

CAT will sponsor one of three county Empty Bowls events, with proceeds going to support the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen. Patrons at an Empty Bowls event select a bowl made by art and design students and pay $10, $15, or $20 for the bowl, depending on size and design, and then have it filled with soup made at Evans Street Station.
“I think there have been about 200 bowls made up of different sizes for the event,” said Martha Poppink-Melcher, who is serving as a CAT coordinator along with local artist Jean Lash. “Some of them were made by Pi Benio’s Adrian College art and design students, and some by Tecumseh High School Art teacher Ron Frenzen and his students as well,” she said.

John Hartom, who once worked as an art teacher in Adrian and now teaches in Bloomington Hills, started the Empty Bowls project as a charitable way to make a personal difference toward feeding the hungry. The program then expanded to include nationwide events.

“It’s not meant to be a big lunch, but a simple meal to acknowledge that there are a lot of hungry people in the world, and to provide a way to help feed others,” said Poppink-Melcher. Busch’s will supply bread to accompany the meal and a beverage also will be included, she said.

“We’re hoping that a lot of people who work downtown — and others — will come to share lunch and enjoy each other’s company for a good cause,” said Poppink-Melcher.
Benio and the Adrian College Art and Design Department also will sponsor two other events. One will be held at Adrian College, Caine Student Center, Thursday, Feb. 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with food provided by Sodexho. Another event will take place at the Adrian First United Methodist Church, Maple Avenue, on Sunday, Feb. 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the food provided by JR’s, Meijer, Stone’s Café, Tip Top, ZZ’s Grill, and Sal’s Italian Restaurant.

For more information about any of the Empty Bowl events, call 264-3901 or e-mail pbenio@adrian.edu.