By Robin GOLDSWORTHY

For the ninth year, CV United Methodist Church is hosting Empty Bowls, an invitation to the community to help end hunger.

Empty Bowls is a national campaign started 25 years ago in a Midwest high school. The original idea was to organize a charitable event to give artists and art students a way to make a personal difference utilizing their work.

Heading up the local event is Jeanne Lavieri, lay leader at CVUMC. Lavieri is a ceramics teacher at North Hollywood High School and her students are among the dozens who are making bowls for the annual fundraiser. Other bowl makers include students of Crescenta Valley High School ceramics teacher Mike Flowers, members of the Montrose Peace Vigil, members of the First Baptist youth group, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts and members of the CVHS Gay Straight Alliance.

“We are weaving a lot of communities together,” Lavieri said.

Guests who arrive at the church on Saturday between 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. will pay $20 ($15 for children 12 & under) to choose among the handmade bowls. They can then fill that bowl from among the fare offered on-site by local restaurants that are donating for the fundraiser. These include El Charro, Frank’s Famous, Hill Street, Joselito’s, Los Gringos Locos, Pepe’s, Dish, Portobello’s, New Moon and Zeke’s. To sop up every delicious bite will be bread provided by Berolina Bakery. After enjoying the soup, diners can take the bowl home.

Guests will also be entertained by live music including a sampling of songs from the church’s Christmas cantata. Fair trade items, like coffee, tea chocolate and olive oil, will also be for sale.

Planning for the yearly Empty Bowls event begins soon after the New Year when a date is chosen. Beginning in May and continuing through the summer, potters are kept busy creating bowls for the 200-300 expected Empty Bowls guests. Though a lot of work is involved, Lavieri presents a calm demeanor.

“Familiarity takes care of a lot of the uncertainty,” she said.

Funds raised will be dedicated to the Bailey Human Care Center at Tujunga United Methodist Church, Friends In Deed House and the World Service Fund, part of the United Methodist Church that helps missions around the world as need arises. There will also be a letter available for soup purchasers to sign addressed to legislators urging legislation to “tweak” a system that has a disparity between those with plenty and those with not enough.

“It doesn’t take that much,” Lavieri said.

This year’s theme is Hunger is Scary, illustrated by the event poster, which has a photo of church members and supporters holding ladles superimposed over a scene from “Frankenstein.”

Lavieri is grateful for the many who support the community outreach project.

“It’s great to work together with everyone,” she said. “Beneath it all, we’re following Jesus. He gives us the five loaves – it’s up to us to distribute them.”

Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church is located at 2700 Montrose Ave.

  robin goldsworthy