St. Joseph students serve $30,000 to County Foodbank

St. Joseph High School students created 75 handmade bowls to donate to the 11th annual Santa Maria Empty Bowls event held Oct. 24 at the Santa Maria Fairpark. These bowls represent countless hours of creativity by dedicated student artists who have worked diligently after school to create something special to contribute to their local community, said Candy Vosburg, St. Joseph art department chair and ceramics teacher. Each participant attending the Empty Bowls event purchased a bowl of his or her choice, which was filled with homemade soup and served with bread and water. The bowls were then taken home to serve as a reminder to care for and feed the hungry in our neighborhoods. Each bowl created raises $20 in direct sales; each $20 the Santa Barbara County Foodbank receives can be turned into $400 worth of food dollars, which can feed a family of four for an entire week. The 75 bowls made by St. Joseph students and staff translates into $30,000 food dollars for the local community.The goal of the Santa Barbara County Foodbank is to eliminate hunger in the community. Empty Bowls not only brings awareness to the plight of the hungry in Santa Barbara County, but also provides a tangible way to ensure that those who suffer hunger are provided with an opportunity to feed their families. “Our students are thrilled to be a part of this worthwhile effort,” said Vosburg. “They love being able to create something beautiful and useful with their hands and they love knowing that what they have made will be used to help our local community.”{gallery width=100 height=100}gallery/2012/1102/sbbowls/{/gallery}