Empty Plate Project

Empty Plate Project: Past and Present

The Empty Plate Project has been a long-standing initiative coordinated by the Counseling Association for Humanistic Education and Development (C-AHEAD), a founding division of ACA. Since 1989, C-AHEAD has been coordinating the Empty Plate Project. Each year, C-AHEAD identifies a charitable cause at conference and meeting locations. After identifying a cause, C-AHEAD coordinates the collection of financial support from counselors and other conference participants. With an average of $3,000 raised per year, 19 years of the Empty Plate Project shows that together the counseling community has raised over $60,000 for organizations across the country.

In 2008, Empty plate raised $3,400 for the Institute for Human Services. IHS provides food and shelter for the homeless community in Honolulu. Their representative Kate Bepko sends the following message: "The funds raised through the ACA C-AHEAD Empty Plate Project this year made all the difference for the IHS meal program. Providing 800 meals a day is costly, and the generosity of ACA members will help IHS to continue to provide food for hungry men, women, and children. Mahalo for your support!"

In 2007, Empty Plate raised $2,877 for the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, which provides food, shelter, education, and job training to assist homeless people in rebuilding their lives.

In 2006, Empty Plate raised $2,590 for SunYouth, a private, non-profit Montreal group dedicated to assisting children and their families throughout the Montreal area.

In 2005, Empty Plate raised $3,792 for the Atlanta Community Food Bank, which distributes almost 2 million pounds of food and other donated grocery items monthly to Metro Atlanta and North Georgia.

The counseling community, C-AHEAD, and Empty Plate have also made an impact in New Orleans, San Antonio, Washington, D.C., San Diego, and many other locations across the United States. In 2002, a special donation was made to schools in New York City impacted by the World Trade Center Disaster.

Following the 2000 ACA World Conference in Washington, D.C., Empty Plate benefited a Nazarene Church, whose minister was a former ACA staff member in Washington. According to Sunny Vassos, a former Empty Plate chairperson, "He [the minister] said it was the largest collection they had ever had." The year's Empty Plate collection was close to $6,000.

Sunny Vassos received a similar testimonial from a nun serving at a New Orleans Catholic women's shelter. When in New Orleans, Empty Plate raised close to $6,000. The nun who contacted Vassos told her that the sisters cried when they counted the money. They had never received such a large donation and had been financially desperate.

The stories from Washington and New Orleans demonstrate the voices and gratitude of Empty Plate's benefactors, which inspires continued efforts to help organizations in conference areas.

While Empty Plate Project initiatives continue to be a success on a national level, other organizations, inspired by C-AHEAD, carry the Empty Plate Project to the local level. After the success of C-AHEAD's 2005 fundraising efforts, the Oklahoma Christian Counselor Association (OCCA) introduced a new community project for the Oklahoma Counseling Association (OCA) at the fall conference - an Oklahoma version of the Empty Plate Project. Similarly, other organizations have conducted C-AHEAD-inspired versions of the Empty Plate Project at annual conferences and meetings. For example, in 2005, the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania collected monies during the President's Luncheon and the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES) Reception. ACES raised more than $1,200 for the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.

For more information and updates about this year's Empty Plate Project, keep checking the C-AHEAD website!

This year, the Empty Plate Project will be chaired by Zan Smith-Glenn of Hopkins, South Carolina. If anyone would like to volunteer for this convention activity or contribute, please contact Zan at smithat3@mailbox.sc.edu.

With continued contributions and support, members of ACA and its divisions can make the Empty Plate Project for ACA's 2008 convention a success!