Empty Bowls 2026: A Night of Community and Care to End Hunger in the Gorge

Sep 3

Written By Columbia Community Connection

From Oregon Food Bank:

By Rachael Lucille

The Dalles, Ore., Sept. 3, 2026 — Columbia Gorge Food Bank invites the community to support its annual Empty Bowls Benefit, a beloved evening dedicated to raising critical funds to help end hunger across the Columbia Gorge.

This year, Columbia Gorge Food Bank is encouraging community members to make their donations before the event on Friday, September 25, 2026. Early giving helps build momentum and ensure more resources are available to provide nourishing food to neighbors throughout Wasco, Sherman and Hood River counties.

WHAT: Columbia Gorge Food Bank’s Empty Bowls BenefitWHEN: Friday, September 25, 2026 | Doors at 5:30 p.m. Program and dinner at 7 p.m.WHERE: Columbia Gorge Food Bank Warehouse, 3525 Crates Way, The Dalles

Empty Bowls brings together community members, local artists, food supporters and advocates in a shared effort to address hunger in the Gorge. Guests will have the opportunity to select a handcrafted bowl created by a local artist and enjoy delicious soups, with each empty bowl serving as a reminder that too many of our neighbors face empty plates.

As a member of the Oregon Food Bank Network, Columbia Gorge Food Bank provides free, nourishing food to more than 2,500 families (6,300 individuals) each month through more than 30 community partners throughout Wasco, Sherman and Hood River counties.

All funds raised through Empty Bowls directly benefit Columbia Gorge Food Bank and its network of pantries and local hunger-relief programs.

Donate today and help fill the Gorge with hope, nourishment and care — one bowl at a time.

For media inquiries, interviews or event details, please contact Leah Hall at lhall@columbiagorgefoodbank.org or971-223-3383.

###

ABOUT COLUMBIA GORGE FOOD BANK

At Columbia Gorge Food Bank, we hold people experiencing hunger and food insecurity at the center of our actions and decisions. We envision a community where each person can participate, prosper and have access to food that is both nourishing and culturally relevant. We commit to serve our communities in ways that value the people who live here and their lived experiences. We resolve to listen to and include these communities in our work, and to respond where bias and inequities appear. Our food programs and public policy efforts aim to build a society where everyone can thrive – celebrating our differences and working together to overcome injustices that might divide us …because no one should be hungry.

For additional information about our role as the regional food distribution hub, click here.