The Giving Plate

Together we can fight hunger and feed hope right here in our Central Oregon community.  Your donation will help The Giving Plate provide emergency food boxes to families and grab and go bags of snack and meal items for children.  The Giving Plate is the largest food pantry in the tri-counties with a special focus on childhood hunger.  We are committed to being on the front lines during this uncertain time to make sure that those in need of food get supported.  Your giving, no matter how small, can make a big impact.  Thank you for giving.  To learn more about The Giving Plate go to our website at:  www.thegivingplate.org, or LIKE us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheGivingPlate/.

The Giving Plate opened its doors in April 2010 through the efforts of a Bend couple, Gary and Debra Kelso. Their Christ-centered passion was to serve the community during a poor economic time when many were struggling to make ends meet – including their own family.  Initially, they thought helping 500 families have food on their table would be an amazing achievement.  Instead of 500 families, they helped 2,400 struggling families access monthly food boxes in that first year. The need for food relief has continued to grow at an astounding rate with no signs of letting up, and The Giving Plate is now the largest food bank in the Oregon tri-counties of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook.

At The Giving Plate, we provide food to our guests and we are committed to serving those in need as long as the need exists.  Beyond filling empty plates, we are equally passionate that each guest we serve is met with genuine compassion and heartfelt hospitality.  We are intentional in our efforts to remove the "clinical experience" of entering a food bank and believe no one should ever experience shame for needing help with one of life’s basic necessities.

Our food relief programs and services include:

• Monthly Food Boxes:  The Giving Plate guests are welcome to visit once a month to receive a food box containing five to seven days’ worth of nutritious food per person in each household. Every box contains fresh produce, protein, grains, dairy, and nonperishable canned and boxed foods.

• Grab & Go Pantry: Every day The Giving Plate is open there are baskets of bread, pastries, and other miscellaneous items available for guests. There are no requirements for receiving food from the Grab & Go Pantry – no registration or check-in is needed.

• Kid’s Korner: Oregon’s first child-specific food bank where children 18 and under can “shop” for their own healthy snacks. Food-insecure children are allowed to visit up to once per day every day The Giving Plate is open.

• Backpacks for Bend: During each school year, this valuable program provides weekend food relief to low-income K-12 children in the Bend/La Pine school district, ensuring that no child ever goes hungry over the weekend.

Our 2018 year-end giving goal is $60,000.  This will give us the funding needed to finish the year strong and fund our Backpacks for Bend program for the 2018/2019 school year.   Please consider The Giving Plate for your year-end giving.  All donations are tax-deductible.

Follow us on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TheGivingPlate 

Learn more about our organization by visiting our website:

www.thegivingplate.org 

Thank you in advance for your support and linking arms with us in the fight against hunger in Central Oregon!

Ranae Staley, Co-Director of The Giving Plate