Anishinawbe Health and Empty Bowls celebrates 25 years of partnership
By Christine Miskonoodinkwe-Smith
TORONTO – Anishnawbe Health and its long-standing charitable partnership – Empty Bowls – celebrated its 25th year at the Gardiner Museum on Oct. 12. The event is a part of a North American-wide project to aid the homeless, with all the proceeds going to Anishnawbe Health Toronto: a fully accredited Community Health Centre, located in downtown Toronto.
Over Anishnawbe Health’s 30-year history, its work with the homeless has evolved from crisis intervention to intensive programs working to support clients looking to escape homelessness.
Diane Gray, the Anishnawbe Health Foundation President said, “It is my pleasure and my honour to be a part of this event to represent the Aboriginal community of Toronto. At the foundation, it is our mission to improve the health and well-being of First Nation, Inuit and Metis people in mind, body, emotion and spirit by providing traditional healing within a multidisciplinary health care model. Our service range is from primary health care and prevention programs to family, child and youth services to mental health and addiction programs.”
At the Empty Bowls event, over 300 guests were in attendance. Guests could choose a bowl donated by ceramic artists, potter’s guilds and students and fill their bowls with their choice of soups by various chefs in attendance, and then take that bowl home with them at the end of the evening.
The Anishnawbe Health Foundation leadership recognized the Gardiner Museum’s past and future support by unveiling a plaque that will be installed in a new community kitchen that will be a part of a new Indigenous Health Centre that will be located at Front Street and Cherry Street in the West Don Lands Neighborhood. The new site was part of the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Athletes Village and is adjacent to the thriving Distillery District and near the popular Corktown Common.
Young Creek Ceremonial Drummers were also in attendance at this event and provided the opening and closing of this important event. To date, Empty Bowls has raised $180,000 .