Students make bowls to feed the community

JACKSON, Tenn. — Students from the Hub City are working together to better the community.

This was a project first started by the art department at UT Martin and now it’s spread to a school here in Jackson.

“I’ve been to the community cafe five or six times, and I just fell in love with the atmosphere,”  Hailey Houston, University School of Jackson student, said.

She decided to put her thoughts into action.

“I asked the arts of the USJ to make a bunch of pottery bowls, each class and stuff make pottery bowls,” Houston said.

And her teacher was completely on board.

“I loved the idea of the community cafe here in Jackson, and their philosophy of making wholesome food available to anybody who wants to eat here,” Libby Lynch said.

So, the students worked together to make dozens of handmade bowls.

“Every grade made their own, and they’re all individualized, like very person put in so much work to make these bowls,” Houston said.

Cleaned them up, decorated them, carved into them, put feet onto them so they would sit level, most of them, anyway,” Libby Lynch said.

With the $20 donation. You get to keep the bowl.

“All proceeds will also go to this cafe to help it flourish and continue to nourish the community.” Houston said.

And her teacher is glad her students want to give back.

“The kids learn a desire to give back to the community, to make something from the heart that’s going to bring funds in to help make this place sustainable,” Lynch said.

Hailey also said she wants the community cafe to become more popular with people her age, and she hopes this project contributed towards that.

The community cafe is located at 218 East Main Street in Jackson.