The 17th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser for the Torres Community Shelter in Chico will take place Thursday evening, March 1st in Lincoln Hall at Chico Senior High School. There will be two seatings, one at 5 p.m. and one at 6:30 p.m.

Local students create beautiful ceramic bowls of all shapes and sizes that you pick for yourself, and then choose your favorite soup to fill it with. Bread and dessert are also included in the ticket price, and you get to keep the bowl.

Tickets are $12 and it's usually a sellout. If there are tickets left, they sell for $15 at the door.

Torres Shelter Executive Director Joy Amaro said on Action News Now at Noon Tuesday that the number of overnight stays there are rising... averaging 99 per night over the last year. And in November the shelter reached capacity one night with 160 people, 34 of whom were children.

Donations are critical to keeping the shelter running.  You can find out more about it at www.torresshelter.org.

You can purchase tickets to Empty Bowls at Zucchini and Vine in Downtown Chico and at Christian and Johnson.