When we were young, many of us enjoyed pretending to be a superhero – at least at Halloween. We would pin on our capes, slip on a mask, and fly out into the world to right wrongs, wherever they might be. But as we got older, our superpowers got smaller, and the world’s wrongs seemed to get larger. Poverty, despair, hunger – these are problems we’re all aware of, but to many of us, they seem too big. “It’s too big! I can’t fix it…” we say to ourselves. And so the problem grows larger, and we feel smaller. It’s very easy, especially as an adult, to adopt a mentality of, “It’s me against the world.” It’s a notion that gets ingrained into us early on, both in school and as we enter the job market. We are encouraged to think we must depend solely on ourselves and our own resources to solve whatever problems we are confronted with.
But here’s the thing: we are not all alone. We are not powerless. And the rest of the world isn’t waiting to get us. The answer to tackling the world’s problems has been in front of us our entire lives. We see examples of it daily, but we take it for granted. The first moon landing, the interstate highway system, the Empire State Building, and the Great Pyramids were all huge tasks, and they weren’t solved by one individual with amazing powers and talents. No one person could have accomplished any of these. These enormous tasks all have one thing in common – they could only be solved by people working together, people like you and me, contributing what skills they had to offer.
The secret is that each and every one of us can make a difference. No contribution is too small or too unimportant, so long as we are working together toward a common goal. Neal Armstrong may have taken that first small step, but he could not have gotten there to take that step without the work and dedication of thousands of others who each did their small part toward solving a problem that was far too big for any one person. When we work together, no problem is too big.
Hunger is a big problem in our country. Recent studies indicate that about 1 in every 8 people across America – men, women, and children – do not know where their next meal is coming from. These are our neighbors, schoolmates, co-workers, and friends ‒ people like you and me, working as best they can to provide for themselves and their families. But for some, the problems have grown too big. Rising costs, medical bills, and unemployment mean that some families have to choose between having a roof over their heads or having a meal. Working hard, they’ve made the best choices they can, but the problem is too big for them to solve alone. They need help. They need a hero.
And that is where you come in. You can make a difference – you can be a superhero. St. James United Methodist Church is organizing Bowling Green’s 12th Annual Empty Bowls event to be held on March 6th. We invite you to help us as we unite to make a difference in our community. For the last several months we have been inviting people in our community to make pottery bowls to donate to the event. In addition, we have asked local restaurants and chefs to provide us with soup and other food for the event. Already, we have been impressed by what can be done when the community works together, but now it is time for the last few steps, and that’s where you can make a difference. Join us for the big event at Forest Park Baptist Church in Bowling Green. At 5pm we will open the doors and invite each of you in for a special meal to help end hunger in our community. We are asking that each person attending make a minimum $15 donation. All money donated will be given to two local charities working to fight hunger in our community: HOTEL INC, and the Synergy Center, run by Warren County Schools. Everyone attending will be served a tasty meal: soup, a beverage, and dessert. In addition, there will be hundreds of handmade ceramic bowls on display. As our way of saying thank you, everyone attending will get to choose their favorite bowl. The bowl will be yours to keep, and in addition to being a beautiful addition to your home, it will serve as a reminder that there are still friends and neighbors right here in Warren County facing empty bowls at mealtime. And it will also remind you that you made a difference in someone’s life.
The last few years have raised many challenges for our community. But now is your chance to step out and make a difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors who need our help.
If you can, please plan on attending the 12th Annual Empty Bowls event on March 6th. For a small donation, you will get a fine meal, a beautiful bowl, and most importantly, you will provide food for an entire family that otherwise might be forced to go to bed hungry. If you can, please take a little time, and spend just a little money to make a miracle happen right here in our community. Be a hero. Be a “souper” hero. You can make a difference. Help us feed the hungry – one bowl at a time.
Forest Park Baptist Church is located at 520 Old Morgantown Road. We will have hundreds of handmade bowls that will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The event will run from 5pm-7:30pm or until we run out of bowls. We recommend purchasing your ticket in advance, but we will also sell tickets at the door. Please see our website at http://www.emptybowlsbg.com or our Facebook page @EmptyBowlsBG for information on purchasing tickets and to learn more about Empty Bowls. Even if you cannot attend, please help by spreading news of the event to your friends and families. By working together, we can each make a difference by doing what we can to help.
-by Garry Taylor,
Empty Bowls Bowling Green
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