Soup bowls help the hungry

For the past three years, the Colony High Key Club has participated in the Colony High Christmas Bazaar to promote their "signature" community service project, called "Empty Bowls."

The program was established by Michigan high school students and their art teacher in 1990. The concept is simple -- a generous person purchases a ceramic bowl, they're served a bowl of soup, and all the proceeds go to a hunger-fighting organization. Colony's Key Club members and some art students, under the guidance of advisor and art teacher Melody Mann, create the bowls during their spare, but limited, time.

Key Club members sell the bowls during the Colony High Christmas Bazaar. By purchasing a ceramic piece, the customers get to dine in a thematically decorated classroom. The Palmer Kiwanis Club provides the delicious soups, which this year include vegetable beef, chicken and rice and split pea.

All proceeds go to both the Palmer Food Bank and the Food Pantry of Wasilla.