Introduction
The Serving Bowls Project is devoted to confronting the COVID-19 crisis in the United States by raising funds for Feed America.
In the past few weeks, the American people have faced some of the deepest struggles of this century. One of the biggest problems caused by COVID-19 is a food shortage. Due to the mass shutdown of businesses and the economy at large, over 16 million people have lost their jobs (as of 4/09). Furthermore, extensive school closings make it difficult to obtain the free and reduced lunch many kinds rely on daily. Many are already food insecure and now face a daily struggle to put food on the table. Food banks across the country face massive increases in meals requested, and lack volunteers due to increased social distancing standards. We want to help these food banks provide for the American people, at a time when they need it most.
The Serving Bowls Project offers a solution. We are creating beautiful handmade wooden bowls and serving utensils to raise money for Feeding America. Every dollar used to purchase an item will be donated to Feeding America, the leading food bank in the United States. They distribute food throughout the United States to 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and ensure every dollar is used wisely. Because they have such far-reaching influence, they can make sure every dollar spent on our project will provide ten meals to those in need.
You buy a beautiful, useful heirloom–a symbol of your love for your family–and you also receive a reminder of this unprecedented moment in history and the way you helped other families in need. Join our team by selecting your own beautiful, hand-turned, food-safe bowl today. Not only will you serve your family but help serve our neighbors in need.
We Challenge You!
During this sad time, it’s easy to feel frustrated and beaten down. So, the Serving Bowls Project wants to help you stay positive and spread happiness. We want to challenge you to use time in quarantine to strengthen your own skills and your relationship with your family. So, once you receive your bowl, we want to challenge you to make a healthy meal using your bowl! Once you do, snap a picture and share it to social media using the hashtag #servingbowls
Meet the Maker
My name is Charlie Hamilton, and I am a junior in high school in Richmond, Virginia. Over the last five years, I have refined my skills as a woodworker. I have loved the opportunity woodworking has given me to express myself creatively, as well as hone my business acumen. I have come a long way from the small lathe I first bought to turn tiny little tops out of firewood for my friends in middle school. As my skills and love for woodworking has grown, so has my woodturning operation. I began to amass many large tools and machines to aid my ability to turn different things, and this growth started to allow me to process massive logs from fallen trees around my neighborhood. As I became more and more confident in my abilities, I started to enter pieces in contests and sell them in local art galleries. I’ve been honored to win multiple competitions, including the top high school competition in the nation, held annually in Las Vegas. Once this COVID-19 pandemic struck, I became inspired to start the Serving Bowl Project, with the help of a few friends. I have been up late in the night and early in the morning working hard to amass inventory, with the hope that my efforts can help those in need. It is my hope that the Serving Bowl will function as a helping hand around the country, and I am elated to grow the project as big as I can.
The Other Charlie (Unice)
Hi, my name is Charlie Unice, and I am a junior at Maggie Walker Governor’s School in Richmond. I’ve known Charlie Hamilton since kindergarten, where we bonded due to sharing the same first name. I’ve witnessed his amazing growth as a woodworker, and have been with him every step of the way, even setting up his first Etsy page to sell his products. When he told me about his idea for the Serving Bowls Project, I was ecstatic and wanted to start immediately. I produce a lot of the media for the project, fulfill orders, and manage customer service. It is my hope that this project will spread and really make a difference in the fight against the pandemic.