KH News Desk
The Bend Food Project, a non-profit focused on alleviating food insecurity in Central Oregon, has hit a major milestone: the collection of a million pounds of food locally.
Their first collection event in October of 2015 collected just under 2,700 pounds of food. “It’s an astonishing number,” said Larry Marceaux, of the Bend Food Project. “We never dreamed we could hit the 1-million-pound goal so soon. Central Oregonians have been quick to volunteer, and donors have been very generous.”
Donors are given a green bag. For two months, the donor keeps the bag in their pantry, and adds a can or two of non-perishable food after a trip to the grocery store. Every other month, a Neighborhood Coordinator picks up the bag from the front porch of the donor.
“Our goal this year,” states co-founder Sue Marceaux, “is to grow our volunteer/donor base to keep up with the increasing need in our community. Given the nature of the U.S. economy, that need will only get larger. “We’re now aiming for that 2-million-pound mark,” said Marceaux. “We’ve got a pretty impressive giving community here.”
