Community gathers for a night of soup, art, and generosity, benefitting local homelessness services
NORTH COUNTY — One of North County’s most cherished community events, Empty Bowls, returned to Paso Robles on Thursday, April 24, at Studios on the Park, uniting food lovers, artists, and advocates in support of local homelessness services. Hosted by ECHO (El Camino Homeless Organization), the annual event raised crucial funds and awareness for individuals and families working toward stable housing.
ECHO has been hosting its Empty Bowls fundraiser for 10 years in Atascadero; this was the third year a second Empty Bowls event was held in Paso Robles at Studios on the Park located on Pine Street. The event featured savory soup tastings, wine pairings, charcuterie boards, desserts, and live entertainment, all set among local artwork. Guests took home a one-of-a-kind artisan bowl, a special tradition for the fundraiser.
According to ECHO President and CEO Wendy Lewis, the event exceeded expectations.
“We started bringing Empty Bowls to Paso [Robles] three years ago to help fundraise and provide funds to support Echo Paso Robles but also to get the community up here involved as we established our facility here and are doing work here. And it’s been an amazing event,” she said. “There are about 150 people here and just laughter and joy.”
Funds raised at Empty Bowls supported ECHO’s operations in Atascadero and Paso Robles, funding housing services, meals, job readiness training, and the organization’s impactful 90-day shelter program. In 2024, ECHO recorded its most successful year to date, helping 256 people secure permanent housing and assisting 97 more through prevention programs.
“This year we’re out facing that already. We’re at 156 and that’s 156 lives that have been positively changed,” Lewis added. “We not only suit individuals but we also serve a lot of families with children and a lot of seniors. And so you’re really helping a variety of people that are at that point where they’re taking steps forward, steps in order to have that full be housing. And that’s what our goal is for everybody we serve.”
Part owner of General Store Paso Robles and ECHO board member Joeli Yaguda first became involved with ECHO by sponsoring and serving meals with Paso Cares before ECHO was available in Paso Robles.
“We’re [General Store Paso Robles is] grateful to be a sponsor because for a small business like ours to be able to participate in something as amazing as what ECHO’s doing, even as small as we are, it’s a dream for my business partners and I, Jillian [Waters] and Erin [Stuck], because our community is so beautifully involved in things like this and always shows up,” said Yaguda.
Yaguda also encouraged others to participate in whatever way they could. “There are ways for people to get involved just in whatever way they can and when you do that you see what ECHO brings to the community,” she said.
Paso Robles City Councilman Steve Gregory has supported ECHO for years and praised its grassroots impact.
“[Empty Bowls] brings everybody out, all walks of life to the event, and it really represents nicely what they [ECHO] do,” Gregory said. “I like the friendliness of the event and the people, the artists making the bowls, and the different restaurants making the food. It’s just a nice way to celebrate what they’re doing, and they’re made.”
Gregory emphasized the nonprofit’s financial responsibility. “My favorite part is they’re raising over 50% of their own money to pay for their costs,” said Gregory. “We couldn’t take care of the homeless without them.”
He also credited ECHO for inspiring local policy changes, like hiring the city’s new Homeless Services Manager. “What we’re doing with the idea behind that is twofold,” Gregory said. “One of the things I asked for is that this person is boots on the ground. And the other thing we’d like to do is bring Atascadero into the fold, into the mix and maybe have them help pay for part of this person’s salary. I don’t know if that’ll ever happen, but it is a regional issue. Since you already have ECHO in Atascadero, I think it’s a good idea. But for the most part, she’s going to have her hands full.”
Lewis echoed that sentiment, sharing that the collaboration with the City of Paso Robles had strengthened through meetings and tours with new city staff. “I do think it’s going to strengthen that partnership where we are going to be able to maybe leverage each other’s knowledge and help maybe bring more funds, grants, things that can support program and maybe additional programs,” she said.
Thanks to support from local restaurants, businesses, and sponsors — including Just Baked, The Backyard, Justin Winery, and Wild Fields Brewhouse — the event proved to be a joyful success. Volunteers, artists, and guests contributed to an atmosphere of generosity and unity.
In the end, Empty Bowls offered more than just warm soup and beautiful art. It served as a reminder of what’s possible when a community comes together to lift one another up — one bowl at a time.
To learn more about ECHO, donate, or explore volunteer opportunities, visit echoshelter.org
Feature Image: For the third year, an Empty Bowls event was held at Studios in the Park in Paso Robles on April 24, raising funds for the El Camino Homeless Organization. Photo by Camille DeVaul/PRP
