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SMITHVILLE — For the past 15 years, a group of dedicated volunteers has gathered annually to fight hunger in Smithville.
The Smithville Empty Bowl Project — a local branch of a national grassroots initiative that unites potters, students and community members to create handcrafted bowls for a cause — returned last Saturday at the Smithville Recreation Center, 106 Royston St.
Continuing a tradition that began in 2011, guests were invited to enjoy a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for a donation, each attendee selected a handmade bowl to keep, a symbolic reminder of all the empty bowls in the world, according to event organizers.
“There is an ever-growing need for food and health care,” said Robin Lively, treasurer for the Lost Pines Artisans Alliance and Smithville Empty Bowl. “The high cost of food, housing and health care put a strain on lots of families, especially those with children and our large elderly population.”
The funds raised are donated to groups working to address hunger and food insecurity in the local community.
According to Lively, the Smithville Food Pantry served between 50 and 80 families per week six years ago. Today, it provides food for as many as 180 families weekly.
“We have tried to stay flexible to what works best and keeps the event ongoing,” Lively said. “COVID was a hard year, but we did ‘soup to go’ to keep our neighbors and volunteers healthy.”
The project was originally launched by three nonprofits — the Smithville Food Pantry, Smithville Community Gardens and the Lost Pines Artisans Alliance — and has since grown to include the Samella Williams Angels Unaware Ministry, which supplies children with food to take home on weekends and during the summer, and the Smithville Community Clinic, which provides free health, dental and mental care.
“We started holding this event at the Mary Nichols Art Center,” Lively said. “We outgrew that space and held the event at the Smithville Methodist Church and on Main Street. For the past three years, we have held the event at the Smithville Rec Center. It has plenty of room and a large kitchen.”
While the project began as a way to fight hunger, organizers say it also highlights broader needs in Smithville and throughout Bastrop County.
“Demands for food and health care services are increasing due to the needs created by the rapidly increasing county’s population, lack of affordable housing and lack of health care options,” Lively added. “Bastrop County is officially recognized as medically underserved. We all know that medically underserved means there are not enough health care providers to serve our community, especially those who are uninsured.”
