By Kripa Watts

There are many beautiful things about making a concerted effort to buy more from local producers and artisans.  Perhaps one of the most enjoyable for me has been the increased connection with my immediate community.  Those who supply our goods and services have become treasured friends, and treasured friends have also become a source of goods and services that we use and love.  It’s a two-way street of goodness that has a tremendous value in terms of building connections based on goodwill, as well as increasing local sustainability.  In this last week I have seen how this two-way street of goodness can become a major intersection filled with positive energy.  It happened when a large local group came together with a single intention in mind. 

The simple idea, put forth by a friend and potter, Amara of Mazamar Pottery,  was to hold an Empty Bowls event.  For this event local potters contributed beautiful handcrafted bowls to be sold to benefit a local food bank.  Rather than just selling the bowls, other local volunteers made a wonderful variety of home made, vegetarian soups and an array of artisan breads.  For $15, each person who attended got a bowl of choice, filled with yummy, home made soup.  The money went to the food bank and the bowl went home with the buyer.  One of our amazing local artists (Anahita King) put together a stunning flier and another local store keeper (Jenny Q of Grateful Desert Herb Shoppe and Eco Market) opened up her space to host the event.  It literally seemed as though the entire community showed up to support this benefit.  The bowls, from both veteran and new potters alike, were amazing, the soups and baked goods were nourishing and seasoned with love, the place was buzzing and the people were radiant.  The event raised $2,108 – that will help to contribute to many a hearty meal for those currently in need of assistance.  And, even more than that, we all left with a heart full of gratitude to be part of such an amazing community - not to mention a belly full of goodness and a beautiful, one of a kind bowl to remind us of how blessed we are.  This is one way to become even more of a localvore and, in this case I would say the overall benefit was far greater than the sum of its parts.

Empty Bowl Artwork by Anahita King

Beautiful hand-crafted bowl by Mazamar Creations