By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–The Paris Academy for the Arts was a busy place Tuesday, as local potters conducted a ‘Throw-A-Thon’ to create handmade pottery bowls which will be donated for upcoming Empty Bowls fundraisers for the Little Pantries of Henry County.
The fundraising events will be held in memory of the late Bill Neese, a Paris attorney who was a founding supporter of the Little Pantries of Henry County.
Rev. Emily Walker of Trinity United Methodist Church in Paris said there currently are 16 free Little Pantries all over Henry County and all of them receive a lot of use. Additional funds are needed to keep the pantries supplied with food.
The fundraisers will involve a series of soup dinners held at various participating churches during September. People attending will receive a soup dinner and if they choose, a souvenir bowl they can keep as a reminder that there are neighbors in the community whose bowls are empty, according to Rev. Joy Weathersbee of First United Methodist Church in Paris.
The potters working Tuesday are making 200 bowls to donate for the events.
Local churches also will be hosting painting parties in the next few weeks at which community members can paint additional pre-made bisque-fired bowls. The bowls will also be used at the Empty Bowls events, with a $10 donation per bowl.
The schedule for the Empty Bowls soup dinners:
Friday, September 15, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4-7 p.m., Trinity UMC, Wilson St., Paris.
Saturday, September 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Church of Latter Day Saints, Lone Oak Rd., Paris.
Sunday, September 17, noon to 2 p.m. FUMC, E. Blythe St., Paris.
Thursday, September 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Antioch United Methodist Church, W. Antioch Rd., Springville.
Tickets for the soup meals will be $20 for the meal with bowl; $10 for meal without bowl and $5 for children under 5 without bowl. Tickets will be available soon on the Little Pantries of Henry County Facebook page and www.littlepantrieshc.com
The first Little Pantry in Henry County was built at the Atkins-Porter neighborhood dog park by Liam McDevitt as his Eagle Scout project. The first pantry showed how large the problem of hunger is in Henry County and the program expanded from there.
Photo: Potters filled one of the classrooms at the Paris Academy of the Arts Tuesday, under the direction of Instructor Martin Paschall (back, in blue shirt). Shannon McFarlin photo.