Supplies are Down and Need is Up

As the new year gets underway, the Food Bank is seeing the number of individuals accessing emergency food in Central Oregon continue to increase. Currently 19,000 people, many of whom are children, are accessing emergency food sites throughout our community.
We need your help more than ever! We get a semi truck load of non perishable food from Oregon Food Bank every week, but supplies are getting cut.  We gathered over 60,000 pounds of non perishable food during the holiday season, but that supply is going fast. Fortunately, our Food Recovery Program will be expanding into three different stores, hopefully more this year, which will help take up some of the slack, but food drives during the next few months are key to helping us keep up with demand.  Think about having your 4H group, church or business host a food drive during the upcoming spring months!
Another way you can help is to include an extra row of produce in your garden plan this spring.  Fresh vegetables are hard to come by for most low income people, especially here in Central Oregon.  Whether you donate a few zucchinni or a bushel of tomoatoes, your donation can make a huge difference in the life of someone struggling to make ends meet.

'Tis the Season for Food Drives!

Requests are on the rise for NeighborImpact food barrels to be placed at businesses throughout Central Oregon, as people think about the Holidays and concern grows for people who are facing economic challenges as the season changes.


Food collected from food drives provide some of the most nutritious items NeighborImpact’s Food Bank distributes to Central Oregonians. Non-perishable food items such as Peanut Butter, canned fruit and vegetables, canned meats and hearty soups and stews are among the “most wanted”. Currently 14,500 people are accessing emergency food locations each month in the tri county area.

Business and corporations alike are holding food drives, some providing “incentives” for people to donate.

*Dr. David Fuller, DMD of Bend is offering clients a chance at a monthly raffle prize ranging from an ipod to a SonicCare toothbrush depending on the number of food items brought to the office, which is located at 2250 Northeast Professional Court Bend, OR.

*Straw Hat Pizza of Redmond is holding a food drive at their Frank’s Landing Location. Anyone bringing in a canned food donation will receive a large one topping pizza for $9.99 or $5.00 a Master Pizza. Straw Hat Pizza is located at 3853 SW 21st Street, Suite 109.

*Whole Foods is promoting Bag Hunger in which customers shopping at Whole Foods can purchase a pre-filled bag of groceries for the food bank for $5, $10 or $20 per bag. Bag Hunger runs started November 3rd and will run through the end of December. So far Whole Foods has collected $9200 worth of food. Whole Foods is located at 2610 NE Hwy 20.

*Ray’s Food Place is currently running the Huddle for Hunger Food Drive. Customers can purchase a bag of groceries valued at $25 for just $15 and those bags will be donated to NeighborImpact. Huddle for Hunger runs through December 31st and is happening at all Ray’s Food Place locations throughout Central Oregon.

Other ongoing food drives include Northwest Community Credit Union (Bend & Redmond Locations), and Oregon Hot Tub.

These are just a small sample of many Food Drives that are happening throughout the area.

Dollars are equally as important to keeping the Food Bank running smoothly and ensuring food makes it to the people who need it. For every dollar donated, the Food Bank can distribute 7 pounds of food. There are numerous ways a business, organization, or individual can raise and donate money to the Food Bank. NeighborImpact offers a Virtual Food Drive that can be tailored to a business that may not have the room for barrels or collection areas. It is an interactive web based fundraising tool that allows people to put icons of food items into a shopping cart and “check out”. Visit the NeighborImpact Virtual Food Drive at http://vad.aidmatrix.org/vadxml.cfm?driveid=3731

Many organizations come up creative ways to help raise money for the food bank, from holding cubicle garage sales, to office burrito bars to hosting a special event and donating a portion of admission.

If you would like to organize a food or funds drive for NeighborImpact’s Food Bank contact Sandy Klein at sandyk@neighborimpact.org or call 541-548-2380 x 148.

2010 Food For Thought

Rebound Physical Therapy is hosting a presentation on National Short Course Cyclocross champion Adam Craig, among other Elite racers. The event is taking place Wednesday, December 8th at 7 pm at Rebound Physical Therapy located at 155 SW Century Drive. Admission is a $5 donation or three cans of food, all of which will go to NeighborImpact's Food Bank. Your donation gets you in the door, a raffle ticket for some terrific prizes and free beer!

Civil War Food Battle!

Hunger doesn't chose sides, but we can fight against it! The "Civil War Food Battle" is a contest between Duck fans and Beaver Fans to see who can generate the most donations for local food banks. Through a unique partnership with the Oregon Food Bank Network, the University of Oregon and the Oregon State University, we can battle hunger together...Civil War Style!

Now through December 4th fans are encouraged to make a $5 or $10 donation by texting! Texting GoDucks5 or GoBeavs5 to 20222 will give a $5 donation. Texting GoDucks10 or GoBeavs10 to 20222 will give a $10 donation. The one time donation will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. This fundraising drive will benefit the entire food bank network, including NeighborImpact.

Host Your Own Virtual Food Drive!

NeighborImpact has made it easier than ever to host a Food and Funds Drive for the Food Bank. Virtual Food Drives are a fun, easy way to help the hungry of Central Oregon without having to take a trip to the grocery store. With a simple click and drag you can securely make a donation to the food program, and be assured your donation will go directly to the task of supplying food to nearly 14,000 people in need right here in Central Oregon!

We can help you customize a Virtual Food Drive for your company or club. We can include your company logo, colors and set up different departments or locations, complete with your own URL. Click on the image to go directly to the NeighborImpact Virtual Food Drive or contact Sandy Klein, Development Specialist at 541-548-2380 x 148 or sandyk@neighborimpact.org to set up your own food drive!

Coming Soon!

Two exciting things are in the works here at NeighborImpact.

First is our largest annual fundraising event, Empty Bowls, which will be held at Central Oregon Community College's brand New Campus Center on Sunday, November 15th. There will be two servings, one at 11:30 a.m. and one at 1:00 p.m. Ticket sales will be handled by The Source and more details will follow!



Second, The Food Bank will be adding a fun, fast and easy way to make donations and help feed hungry families of Central Oregon. Soon there will be an interactive Virtual Food Drive on our website. With a click of your mouse, you will be able to help the food bank provide meals to needy people in our area in an instant. The best part is, we can help you customize one for your own business, club or organization! Look for more information in the weeks to follow.

"Neighborly Blend" Still Available!

For a limited time, Neighborly Blend, a medium blend of organic coffee made specifically for NeighborImpact to raise funds and raise awareness for our organization. Created by Strictly Organic Coffee Company of Bend, the aromatic coffee is available either through their store at 450 SW Powderhouse Drive, or their website at http://www.strictlyorganic.com/