giving back

Empty Bowl Project: One bowl of soup shared with family and friends can provide45 meals for the hunger striken

The Austin Empty Bowl Project preview.
Throwing a bowl.
Browsing the handmade bowls.

The holiday season is marked with ample opportunity to create valuable, thoughtful exchanges of time, money and humanity. Tomorrow marks the 15th annual Austin Empty Bowl Project, where the purchase of one serving of soup in a handcrafted ceramic bowl allows the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas to provide up to 45 meals for those in need.

Empty Bowls is a grassroots effort to fight hunger, initially created by the Imagine/RENDER Group in Michigan. Since the first Empty Bowl event in 1991, the project has seen international growth; any individual or group may organize an Empty Bowl event and design it around the needs of their specific community.

In Austin, 12 area schools have donated ceramic bowls created by art students, and over 30 restaurants will pitch in to provide a variety of soup to choose from. The proceeds of the day's event go to CAFB's Kids Cafe, an afterschool program that serves 400,000 healthy meals a year to hungry central Texas children. According to John Turner of CAFB, last year's event raised enough to cover an entire two months of Kids Cafe program costs.

Figures aside, this one-day, yearly event is a fantastic way to ignite the spirit of giving during the holiday season and bridge the gap between people who otherwise might not come in contact. "[Empty Bowls] is a wonderful example of many different groups working together, each doing a small part, to have a larger impact in their community," says Austin organizer Hester Weigland.

Together, participants sit to enjoy their meal, listen to live music and give thanks. For many, Empty Bowls has become a significant, charitable event held close to their hearts. "Every year, the same person drives up from the coast in the wee hours of Sunday morning to be first in line," says Turner. "Austin Empty Bowl has become one of her holiday traditions because she just loves the event so much."

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The Austin event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at a new venue, the Marchesa Hall and Theatre, Lincoln Village, 6226 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin (just behind Highland Mall).

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Weed News

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas files bill protecting cannabis

Redheaded Blackbelt

Let's make it legal.

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistant and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana