Parker Academy In Concord Raises Funds To Help The Hungry

CONCORD, NH — Patrons filled their bellies with soups, chowders, chilis, and broths Thursday at Parker Academy during the school’s Empty Bowls event.

The annual event, similar to other Empty Bowl initiatives across the country, not only raised money for a hunger organization in New Hampshire, but it was a teaching moment, too, connecting students to understanding the issue of food security and allowing them to create art via clay bowls. David Parker, the owner of the school, said the school had been holding Empty Bowl events for nearly two decades and each year, a new organization was the beneficiary of the fundraiser.

This year, New Hampshire Hunger Solutions will receive the donations, probably more than $1,000, when all is said and done. According to Laura Milliken, the executive director of the organization, the organization performs outreach and advocacy to help Granite Staters address food insecurity and take advantage of programs available to the hungry. Before the event, Milliken met with most of the students at the school to talk about the organization and hunger data in the state— something she enjoyed and spoke highly of.

“It’s really lovely organizations like this are so helpful to us,” she said.

Even though state averages masked it, Milliken said food insecurity was an issue in New Hampshire. The U.S. Census began tracking data about food insecurity during the coronavirus pandemic and since she noted. Those numbers, in the Granite State, have been consistently high — 48 percent of families with children are saying they are food insincere, either not having enough food or not having the right kinds of food, like fresh fruits and vegetables. At the same time, Milliken said, many state residents do not take advantage of the many programs to subsidize grocery bills, such as SNAP and other programs.

More than a dozen soups were available to sample, including chowders, chilis, and broths. The chicken chili, made by Rachael Lacy, who works at the school, was a highlight, as was a beef and cabbage stew, which was hearty and thick. A pasta e fagioli offering was good but a bit Americanized — light on the herbs and almost like a chop suey.

There were almost too many to try.

Brynna Lee Simmons, an art and psychology educator at the school for about three years, said the students worked hard creating the bowls for the event.

“They make them, and then they decorate them, we fire them, and they come out, and we have to do a second fire,” she said. “So, they have been working for months.”

About 20 were made this year and there were a few leftover from last year.

Milliken said the money would be used for continued advocacy work, supporting outreach programs with schools, and organizing at the local level — including food access coalitions and healthcare professionals.

“We work with them,” she said, “to understand what policy issues exist at the local level, and we work at the state level to try and change things for the better.”

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