On Wednesday morning, volunteer artists were busy at work inside the Hart Street Pottery studio in Fort Worth making bowls for the Tarrant Area Food Bank 'Empty Bowls' fundraiser.
"It signifies people in need in the community," volunteer and Hart Street Pottery owner Janet Rodriguez said. "Sometimes people who never expected to be in need."
The goal of 'Empty Bowls' is to raise enough money to pay for nearly one million meals through the TAFB Ready to Learn program, which has in-school markets and education programs.
"It's feeding the hungry and it's a shame in America we do have hungry people," volunteer artist Glenda Endres said as she glazed a bowl on a pottery wheel. "This happens to be a talent that I have, so I feel like I'm putting it for good use."
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Rodriguez has been volunteering her time and pottery studio to TAFB for 2-decades.
"I knew that I couldn't give a lot of money, but I had the ability to make bowls, so I thought, well, I can do that," Rodriguez said. "It really hits me when there's so many kids that need food that go hungry. When we have to worry about when they're on vacation, how are they going to eat? That's pretty sad."
Some of the Empty Bowls will be auctioned at the fundraiser, others are free with the price of a ticket.
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"Mine will be a free bowl," volunteer Rebecca Martin said laughing. "Nobody is gonna pay for mine!"
"I hope they think that somebody cares enough to do something for them," Rodriguez said. "Because you never know when you're gonna be the one who needs help, too."
The Tarrant Area Food Bank Empty Bowls annual fundraiser is April 26, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Will Rogers Coliseum. For tickets, click here.
