CLC students, teachers to fight hunger
Artists from two disciplines at the College of Lake County will blend their talents to help feed the hungry and provide a tasty reward for contributors.
Students and instructors in the school's Ceramics Club and Culinary Arts Department will set the table from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 24 at the library atrium on the Grayslake campus on Washington Street near Route 45 in Grayslake.
The event, called "Empty Bowls," benefits the Northern Illinois Food Bank. For a minimum $10 donation, participants can choose a handmade ceramic bowl filled with a serving of chili and cornbread.
The event has been a staple in the ceramics world nationally for several years, but will be held for the first time at CLC.
Students, teachers and others have been firing the kilns for months in preparation, according to Ben Bates, ceramics instructor.
"We have over 800 (bowls). We figured close to 1,000," he said. Twenty-six individuals lent their talents, he added.
"Some did 20 and some did 200. Some people went crazy," he added.
It takes about 30 minutes to form and trim the bowl and about 15 minutes to glaze it. The vessel is fired for about 16 hours and has to cool for a day.
Each is distinct.
"The goal is the artist puts a little bit of themselves in the piece," Bates said. "Each design is the student's own interpretation. We went with soup size or chili size bowls, so they wouldn't get too enormous."
While donors browse, culinary students will be dishing up 200 pounds of chili, according to Mark Dowling, chef instructor and chair of the Food Service Management department. Twenty-five pounds will be available without meat.
"They can throw some pottery," he said referring to the process of making the bowls, "and we'll throw some chili back at them," Dowling joked.
The event is one of many different activities to benefit the Northern Illinois Food Bank held all year long throughout the region. The food bank provides service for 520 agencies, mainly food pantries, in 13 Chicago area counties.
"We've never seen it (the need) as high as it is," said Jarrod Daab, associate director of development.
"We've seen an increase of 30 percent (in the number) of people coming for food assistance."
He said the "Empty Bowls" event is one of many ways that people can contribute and help raise awareness of the need. For more information, visit northernilfoodbank.org.