The 14th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, organized by RiverArts, once again delivered much-needed support to the Kent County Food Pantry, raising $10,000 to help combat food insecurity in the region.
Inspired by the international Empty Bowls project founded in the early 90s, Chestertown’s offshoot was launched in 2011. The event brought together dozens of local ceramic artists, led by Chestertown potter and RiverArts Clay Studio teacher Marilee Schumann, partnering with Washington College and the Artworks organization, a precursor of today’s RiverArts.
Each year, artists donate hand-crafted bowls to be sold for $20 apiece, with all proceeds benefiting the pantry. This year, Schumann worked closely with RiverArts Director Chris Neiman to coordinate sales at the Saturday Market to raise funds for Kent County Food Pantry.
The Kent County Food Pantry, housed in the First United Methodist Church at the corner of High and Mill Streets (entrance at 105 N. Mill Street), is a volunteer-run operation that or 30 years has served as many as 300 local families each month.
“It’s wonderful to be able to provide the families with some of the essentials that they need. We are primarily funded by this community. We have some grants and so forth, but I would say the majority of what enables us to provide what we do for the community comes from individuals within the county, say Deann Jones, Director of Kent County Food Pantry.
This year’s fundraiser comes at a critical moment. Starting this month, changes in the federal budget reconciliation bill shift the burden of food assistance program administration from a federal-state split to requiring states to cover 75% of administrative costs—a move expected to ripple across programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
According to Maryland Hunger Solutions, 2,832 Kent County residents receive SNAP benefits each month. Statewide, 680,000 Marylanders depend on SNAP. But new estimates from the Urban Institute, as reported in Maryland Matters, suggest that roughly 369,000 Maryland families will lose some or all of their benefits this month. Among them, 81,000 families could lose an average of $150 per month—nearly the entire current average monthly benefit of $180. Families with children are expected to be hit hard, losing an average of $81 per month.
In the face of such policy shifts, the response from Chestertown residents and RiverArts artists offers a clear message: local communities can, and do, step up. Empty Bowls continues to stand as a powerful testament to how collective creativity and compassion can help fill the gaps where public assistance falls short.
Chris Neiman delivering the RiverArts donation to Deeann Jones and Sue Baesner at Kent County Food Pantry.
The Spy recently interviewed Deeann Jones, Director of Kent County Food Pantry to talk about how the program works to meet the County’s needs.
For more about Kent County Food Pantry, go here. For more about Chestertown RiverArts, go here.
This video is approximately four minutes in length.
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