Students and staff are hoping to make a difference and bring more funding to a local food bank.
The Nanaimo District Secondary School is holding a fundraiser March 9th from 5:30 to 7pm. Students, parents, and residents of the community can come in, get some soup, bread, and a bowl.
The Empty Bowl fundraiser is hoping to raise around $3,000.
“To do that, we sell a bunch of tickets to raise money,” said Student Council President, Solace Stuart. “We also have a bunch of handmade bowls that every guest gets to take home, and they’re made by community members and staff. Then guests get to come to the event, they get a bowl and they get a meal of soup and bread, and it’s to signify the poverty and hunger that is faced in our community.”
The bowls are also made in-school by various students, grades 8-12— but most likely grades 10-12.
“We had separate nights where we had pottery students, staff of our school, and members of the community come in and make bowls after school,” said Stuart, “but we also had students in their pottery classes make them.”
In the past, the school has also hosted a silent auction, however, this year there will be pieces of art on display that members of the community can buy.
“Woodwork, metalwork, all the skills classes are going to produce a batch of artwork or nice pieces to sell,” said Stuart. “All that money is also gonna go into Loaves and Fishes. We have another school on board. [Wellington Secondary School is] providing some donations as well that we’re gonna sell. So it’s, yeah, really cool to connect with them.”
Tickets to enter the event are $20 per person, and are available at NDSS’ front office. The students hope to sell a total of 150 tickets, and are nearing their goal. The tickets are not available online, only in person.
The school has done the Empty Bowl fundraiser multiple times in the past, and is one of a few other fundraisers— such as its food drive during Halloween and Christmas— it has done to support Loaves and Fishes.
