Please sir, I want some more…

Two of my favorite bowls featured in today’s Empty Bowls fundraiser, which benefits hungry families and runs through 6pm at Scottsdale Community College

I’ve had Charles Dickens on the brain since learning of a new book focused on what became of Dickens’ ten children, and often conjure images of my daughter Lizabeth performing in Greasepaint Youtheatre’s production of “Oliver” when reflecting on Dickens’ writings.

A few of more than a hundred bowls available at today’s Empty Bowls 2012 event

I enjoyed a rare look at Dickens works during one of my NYC trips, where I explored The Morgan Library & Museum — a lovely destination for bibliophiles because they often exhibit the writings and related artifacts of beloved authors. But today I’m enjoying a plethora a bowls reminiscent of orphan Oliver’s request for “more.”

Empty Bowls 2012 features bowls in all sorts of sizes, shapes and colors

Scottsdale Community College is hosting an “Empty Bowls” event today, which features the sale of one-of-a-kind bowls and other ceramics crafted by youth through local schools, community service agencies and arts organizations. Most bowls are just $10 and the proceeds benefit Vista del Camino, a City of Scottsdale emergency service center which promotes self-sufficiency and supports basic needs including food and clothing.

Bowl created for today’s Empty Bowls event in Scottsdale

“Hunger Has No Boundaries” cards located inside a few of the bowls explain that funds donated through Empty Bowls events “assist food banks, soup kitchens and other organizations that help fight hunger.” Each unique bowl, they say, represents the people who go to bed hungry every night.

While making my purchase, I spied a piece of paper noting Arizona hunger facts compiled by United Food Bank in Mesa. Half of the folks who get emergency food from United Food Bank report choosing between paying for food or paying for utilities. Four in ten have to choose between buying food or making mortgage/rent payments. And 27% have to choose between food and medical care. It’s something to consider next time you open the doors of your own well-stocked pantry and refrigerator.

Empty Bowls events are one way to help curb local food insecurity

United Food Bank also notes that “Arizona is tied as the worst state in the U.S. when it comes to child hunger, and the 5th worst for overall food insecurity.” One in four children, one in five adults and one in seven seniors “struggle with hunger” in our state. Supporting Empty Bowls events is one of many ways you can help address this problem.

A small sampling of bowls you can buy in the SCC cafeteria through 6pm today

Local Empty Bowls partners include the City of Scottsdale Human Services Department, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale Unified School District and Concerned Citizens for Community Health.

One of many ceramic works created for today’s Empty Bowls fundraiser

Ceramic bowl contributors include several of these partners — as well as Greenway Middle School (part of the Paradise Valley Unified School District), Fees College Preparatory Middle School (part of the Tempe Elementary School District), local Girl Scouts of America chapters, Delta Gamma Kappa of Scottsdale, Woodsonian Institute of Art & Culture, Laguna Clay Company and Marjon Ceramics.

Most bowls cost just $10 but some are priced a bit higher for a good cause

SCC departments involved with Empty Bowls 2012 include Student Leadership Forum, Student Athletics, Culinary Arts, Music, Facilities, College Safety, Center for Native and Urban Wildlife, Fitness & Wellness, Center for Civic & Global Engagement, and Institutional Advancement & Community Engagement. For those prone to punning, that last one is a mouthful.

You can buy bowls, which get you a ticket for the chow line nearby, through 6pm.

— Lynn

Note: Click here for SCC information and maps. Empty Bowls 2012 takes place in the student center, where you can also enjoy a giant AIDS memorial quilt exhibited by the Names Project Foundation.

Coming up: The fine art of recycling, Travel with an arts twist

We take care of our own

Work by 8th grade student Luis Velasquez exhibited by Young Arts Arizona

Springsteen’s “We Take Care of Our Own” topped the set list at last night’s Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem. I sat spellbound in Scottsdale as Springsteen and the band rocked their way through 19 tunes heavy laden with tales of upheaval and undying optimism.

Work by 6th grader Elias Galvin Rendon

The Apollo Theater concert was broadcast live by Sirius XM in celebration of its tenth anniversary, coinciding with the recent release of Springsteen’s “Wrecking Ball” album. Yes kids, that’s what some of us old timers call them. Without apology.

Critics have weighed in on both, and I find those from The New York Times most intriguing. But my own read on the concert has a different vibe. The Apollo Theater concert was simply Springsteen taking care of his own. Like all the best storytelllers, Springsteen listens. And he hears people hurting.

Work by 3rd grader Elizabeth Navarro

Hold tight to your anger. Don’t fall to your fear. Put old skills to new uses. Seize the break of blue in a long cloudy sky. Remember those dealt injustice, and help those suffering now. Be the change. Make the change. And enjoy the rock and roll ride — Springsteen’s vehicle for soothing the soul while calling heart and hands to action.

As Springsteen wove older works into newer “Wrecking Ball” fare, the continuity of his decades-long drive for social justice was clear. So too was his genuine gratitude for those who came before — including many an artist who’s graced the Apollo Theater stage. Springsteen is a soul man. And soul must be shared.

Some folks are especially gifted at simultaneously running with and passing the torch. Springsteen is among them. After longtime friend and fellow musician Clarence Clemons died last summer, the torch went to nephew Jake Clemons — now part of “the E Street horns.” The Apollo Theater concert was rich with brass, choral music and strings that make the band’s heart beat just a little louder.

Work by 3rd grader Gabriel Ramirez

Gospel. Soul. Rap. Rock and roll. Irish jigs and mariachi melodies. It’s not your mother’s Springsteen. Or perhaps it is. I remember taking our two daughters, then in high school, to Springsteen’s last concert in Phoenix. They were equally moved by the music and the food collection boxes scattered throughout the venue’s main hall. Music feeds the soul. But it takes more to feed the hungry.

Hence Springteen’s shout out, near the end of the Apollo Theater concert, to fans who support the work of WhyHunger — and to its executive director Bill Ayres, who co-founded the organization with singer/songwriter Harry Chapin (whose brother Tom Chapin recently performed here in the Valley).

Work by 5th grader Victoria Anchondo

Like plenty of Springsteen fans, we won’t be in the house for any “Wrecking Ball” concerts, but there’s much we can do to move our own communities past hard times. Learn more about WhyHunger. Support our local food banks. Advocate for just public policies. Promote the arts that sustain us. And rise up.

Wherever this flag’s flown, we take care of our own. — Bruce Springsteen

— Lynn

Note: Saint Mary’s Food Bank Alliance presents its 11th annual “Kids Cafe Open” on March 30 to raise funds for battling child hunger in Arizona — click here for details. Artwork featured in this post was part of the Young Arts Arizona “Living the Dream, Passing the Torch” exhibit celebrating MLK Day 2012 at the Arizona State Capitol.

Coming up: Rising Youth Theatre shares diverse youth perspectives