Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference will serve soup and smiles while combating hunger at the 25th Empty Bowls Dinner. For the 25th year, Empty Bowls Dinner will offer the community a chance to gather, enjoy a delicious meal, and raise funds to fight hunger in El Dorado County and beyond.
The event will take place on Saturday, March 8, 2025, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in the Forni Building.
Families and guests will savor delicious soup and fresh bread served in a keepsake handmade ceramic bowl donated by artists and schools throughout the region.
The Coloma Celtic will entertain with upbeat Americana Celtic folk sounds and vendor booths provide educational materials about hunger along with a selection of handmade and curated wares for purchase.

Wine, beer, and a wide variety of desserts will also be available. Funds raised will support organizations fighting food insecurity, with this year’s beneficiaries being La proMesa Familiar (El Dorado County), Upper Room Dining Hall (Placerville), Hands4Hope Emergency Food Pantry (Placerville), and Earth’s Angels (Ghana). Organized by Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference’s after-school Empty Bowls Committee, the event is driven by 16 middle and high school youth—7 of whom are leading the effort—and supported by 12 adult mentors.

Previously led for 23 years by the El Dorado Peace and Justice Community, with assistance from Hands4Hope participants, leadership transitioned in 2024 to the youth-led Hands4Hope Committee, as Empty Bowls continues its role as a nationwide grassroots effort to fight hunger. Tickets are $25 for adults at the door—with a $5 discount for advance online purchases—$15 for youth, and free for children aged 4 and under; sponsorships start at $150 and include event tickets.

For tickets, sponsorships, and more information, please visit hands4hopeyouth.org/emptybowls. Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference is a nonprofit, youth-driven organization with a mission to inspire and empower youth in leadership and service, offering hands-on education and community engagement opportunities to youth from K-12th grades through on-campus and after-school programs in Sacramento and El Dorado Counties, and was named “2023 Nonprofit of the Year” for California Senate District 4.

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