Tagged by: Empty Bowls

Teach Your Children Well…

It is never too early to start logging your community service hours and if you are 10 years old with a goal of getting into University of Florida, you might want to think about starting NOW!  My son wants to be a Gator and knows he has to earn his way to crocodilian status.  We are working now on improving his curriculum vitae.

Brooks recently celebrated his 10th birthday, which was a significant milestone.  Not only is ten “double digits,” but it is also the minimum age required to volunteer at Feeding America Tampa Bay.  I love food; my son loves food.  I work for Feeding America; now, my son volunteers there.

Brooks moves boxes in his University of Florida "swamp" shirt.

Brooks moves boxes in his University of Florida “swamp” shirt.

A few weeks ago, Brooks worked at a Mobile Pantry location where we delivered over 300 boxes of food to hungry families in less than two hours.  He was in charge of separating and moving boxes.  In full-blown, sweaty work-mode, Brooks managed to show his leadership and delegation skills like I had never seen before.  I was incredibly proud!

Brooks raised $96 in two hours at Winn Dixie in Madeira Beach.  That provides 672 meals!

Brooks raised $96 in two hours at Winn Dixie in Madeira Beach. That provides 672 meals!

Yesterday, he joined me at a local Winn-Dixie Supermarket to collect donations and sell Empty Bowls made by local students.  These beautiful handmade bowls are each a precious work of art and represent the 700,000 bowls that go empty each day within our community. Each one is so unique.  It was fun to see people struggling over which bowl to select.  There are many uses for these bowls: decoration, jewelry holder, salt and pepper containers, soap dish, and ASHTRAYS.  Wouldn’t those children just love to know that they poured their hearts into making ashtrays!?!  The dentist in my family will get this fabulous bowl in her Christmas bag this year…

Who can resist a monster bowl with teeth like that???

Who can resist a monster bowl with teeth like that???

My son got an introduction to the public this weekend.  He was surprised by the Jenerosity displayed by so many people who had so little.  These sweet bowls made by sweet children made people smile.  Just one day after the horrific shooting at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School, we found ourselves remembering the innocence of those schoolchildren.  So many people wanted a little token of love from a child to take home with them - a symbol of purity, Jenerosity and good nature.  We long for a life filled with more monster bowls and fewer senseless tragedies…where children can realize their dreams by working hard and improving the world around them…where they can plan what they want to be when they grow up and attend the college of their choice, even if their endeavors are reptilian in nature!

It is never too early to start logging your community service hours and if you are 10 years old with a goal of getting i...

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