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Annual “Empty Bowls” event raises $50,000 for its food pantry.
The Salvation Army’s annual “Empty Bowls” event held in Tupelo, Miss., raised $50,000 for its food pantry and expansion of its homeless lodge. On March 27, the event gave hundreds of handmade pottery pieces to attendees, which are made by The Salvation Army’s Women’s Auxiliary and local potters.
This year, Harry McBride and Bruce Johnson made more than 120 pieces for the event.
The art of pottery did not come naturally to Johnson. After suffering a stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body, he was unable to return to his job as a management consultant.
“I had a real tough time adjusting,” Johnson told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. “I’m the type of person who’s never able to sit still.”
His neighbor, Harry McBride, had been a skilled potter for years. His wife thought it would be a good idea if he teamed up with Johnson after seeing him around the neighborhood in his motorized chair.
“My wife always knows what’s going on with everyone,” McBride said. “I didn’t realize at first that he only had the use of his right hand, but I tried to make something with just one hand, and when I found I could do it, I figured he could, too.”
Johnson’s determination and strength helped him develop a strong bond and passion for pottery. McBride and Johnson made plates, bowls, mugs, and candlesticks, and were happy to help when asked to contribute to the Empty Bowls event.
“I did it once and fell in love,” Johnson said. “I’m kind of an artistic type, and pottery is something you can really lose yourself in.”
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