McGuffey Foundation School is partnering with the organizers of Oxford “Empty Bowls,” a benefit soup luncheon that celebrates art and service as we bring together the works of our school’s talented artists, Miami University ceramics students, Oxford-area potters and local cooks to raise awareness and much-needed funds for the Oxford Community Choice Pantry and its efforts to supply food to local families in need.
This year, MFS students are making hanging flags featuring symbols of peace, love, friendship, family and community for the event. The flags are made of cotton cloth and stamped acrylic paint in designs created by the students. These beautiful works of art will be displayed at “Empty Bowls” before being returned to the school and taken home by the students.
The flyer on in our October 18 posting has the event details, but what it can’t convey is how much FUN the luncheon is, how GOOD the food is, how BEAUTIFUL the bowls are, and how WONDERFUL it is to know that your presence and your contribution makes a difference in the lives of those served by the food pantry! This event provides valuable unrestricted funds that the Pantry staff and volunteers can use to fill in the gaps left behind by donated food items and government commodities and to help operate the pantry, which currently serves 280 local families. And the need continues: each month, the Pantry registers 8-10 new customers, yet like other food pantries across Butler County it has seen a decrease in funding and donations, including a decrease in USDA food allocations.
So, won’t you join us? Last year’s event raised over $5,000, and in the eight years we’ve been holding the event, nearly $30,000 has been raised. We are proud to say that every single penny, every single year, goes toward alleviating hunger and food insecurity in the Oxford community — everything we have and do is donated so there are no expenses to cover or overhead to consider. Thank you for supporting this wonderful event! See you on the 5th!