Support the Museum School's
Empty Bowls Fundraiser
and help raise money to stop world hunger!

Who:	The Children’s Museum Charter School invites the general public
What:	Empty Bowls Fundraiser to Stop World Hunger
When:	Thursday, June 21st, 5:30-7:30 pm
Where:	Downtown Johnny Brown’s, 1220 Third Ave., San Diego
Why:	We want to help our world community stop world hunger

We are happy to announce our 5th Annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser. Students at the Children’s Museum Charter School are selling their beautiful handmade clay bowls to help stop world hunger. They know through their efforts that they can make a difference, and you can too! For $15 you will receive a beautiful handmade clay bowl served with warm meal inside. Half of the donations will be given to UNICEF emergency assistance areas to fight world hunger. The remaining half will be used to help fund materials and costs for next year’s fundraiser.

On June 21 st, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., we will all dine together at Downtown Johnny Brown’s, a restaurant that has donated its food and services for the fourth year in a row to this important event. After you have finished your meal, you may take the bowl home as a reminder that you made a difference in the fight to stop world hunger, and you could choose to do so again.

Please join us. Everyone in the community is welcome. Help our students make the world a better place for children in need.

Here’s some additional background information:

The Museum Charter School began working on The Empty Bowls Project in the fall of 2002 as an exploration of the community service department, which focuses on service learning and gets the children involved in activities to benefit the community. Last year, the students, enrolled in grades 3 through 6, also raised money to help victims of the Tsunami in Southeast Asia, organized a canned food drive for local shelters, engaged in art and recreational activities with senior citizens at St. Paul’s Manor and participated in The Empty Bowls Project. As a result, the students learned about a variety of ways they can contribute to their community, share their talents and energy with others in the neighborhood, and raise awareness of important issues, like world hunger, a curable condition! Every student made at least two or three bowls and has graciously donated their artwork for the Empty Bowls Fundraiser. All bowls are handmade by children and fired with lead-free glazes. For more information on the Museum Charter School, contact museumschool.sandi.net.

The basic idea for The Empty Bowls Project is simple. Participants create ceramic bowls and then serve a simple meal in the bowl. Guests choose a bowl to use that day at the fundraiser and to keep as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. In exchange for the meal and the bowl, the guest gives a minimum donation of $15.00 dollars. Half of the money raised will be donated to an organization that fights hunger and the remaining half plus any additional donations will be used to fund the program for next year. We hope our guests realize that by participating in our Empty Bowls Fundraiser, they made a difference in the fight against world hunger, and they could choose to do so again.

The Museum Charter School was introduced to the project by their art teacher, Branan Freeman, who met the artists who first created The Empty Bowls Project in their school in Michigan in 1990. She was inspired by their vision and decided to join in their efforts to fight world hunger by developing a class curriculum with fellow teacher, Holly Evans. Together, they created the Community Service Department. In the last four years, they have raised nearly $8,000 for the Empty Bowls Fundraiser. The nature of this project is to share it so others can raise awareness and money to fight hunger, as well. Maybe you want to start your own Empty Bowls event?

The Empty Bowls project is an international effort to fight hunger. We encourage others to organize their own Empty Bowls event in their community. For more information, contact The Imagine Render Group, P.O. Box 167, Oxford, Michigan 48371; or contact www.Emptybowls.net.