The Bend Food Project was started in October of 2015 by a small group of residents who wanted to help fight hunger in our area.

We heard about the success of the Ashland and Medford Food Projects and wanted to start a similar project in Bend Oregon. We adopted the same simple, door-to-door food collection system to enable people to pitch in and help.

Four people standing under a white canopy tent at an outdoor event, with a backdrop of a blue sky, trees, and a red truck. There are boxes and green tote bags on the table in front of them.

Our mission is to build community by reducing food insecurity – one green bag at a time!

• The Bend Food Project started with 20 neighborhood coordinators and now have over 235.

• The first collection was in October of 2015 and resulted in 2,752 pounds. Now we average over 45,000 pounds per collection.

• The Bend Food Project also collect food from organizations like schools, churches and businesses.

• In January of 2025, BFP made a strategic change and integrated under the umbrella of The Giving Plate (TGP). This change was made for several reasons. First, BFP had been working closely with TGP for multiple years, identifying food requirements for their customers and donating all food collected to TGP. Secondly, this integration combined the strengths of both organizations, under one management team, and increased our ability to support food-insecurity in Central Oregon.

Why it Matters

All it takes is 15 minutes a month to help feed the community.

Unfortunately, yes. According to recent reports, about 16% of American households are considered “food insecure.”
It’s not because there’s a shortage of food. Studies show that America produces twice as much food as we need in order to feed everyone in our country.

About 40 million U.S. residents - more than one in eight of our neighbors - receive food aid. One study determined that 25% of all households with children are likely to experience hunger or food insecurity. And that number goes up to over 30% in households with single parents.
Think of it this way: If you’re standing in a line in your community, one of the eight people around you has probably struggled with hunger. And if your child is in a class of 28 people, 7 of their classmates may not be sure where their next meal is coming from. It’s shocking.
Poverty. Many of our neighbors simply can’t afford to buy enough food—even when they’re working. Feeding America reports that at least 1/3 of all American families who get help with food have one or more people working. The result is heartbreaking: “A growing number of people have to make difficult choices about what to spend their dwindling dollars on.”
Major U.S. hunger relief organization, Feeding America says:
“More than 46% of our clients report having to choose between paying for utilities or heating fuel and food.”
“39% said they had to choose between paying for rent or a mortgage and food.”
“34% report having to choose between paying for medical bills and food.”
“And 35% must choose between transportation and food.”
There’s a silver lining. Hidden in these alarming statistics is one bit of very good news: If 40 million Americans are “food insecure,” then about 285 million Americans are not.
This means that there are plenty of people who can afford to offer a little help. Not everyone, of course…but more than enough to make a huge difference. You may be one of them.
And that’s what the Bend Food Project is all about.