BEND, OR -- A Bend-based nonprofit recently received a massive donation of logs and they need volunteers to help split and sort the wood for needy families. Richard Berg, manager of the Nativity Wood Lot, says they've been providing firewood since 2005 and in the past month, they've seen record demand, "We've had 140 families come through over a three Saturday period, and that equaled 38 cords of wood that went out the door to keep families warm." Which, he says, is why it's important to get this latest donation of wood ready for families as quickly as possible. "We've had a lot of cooperation lately. There's been 1,000-cord donation given to us, and that's going to keep us supplied with wood for a number of years. We can use 25-30 volunteers every single Saturday to process it here and distribute it to the families." Berg says the latest donation came from a local doctor who supports their mission. 

There's another donation ready to come in, but he says there isn't room to store it until the other is taken care of. And, Berg says, they've been operating on J.L. Ward property that will soon become the location of Bend's new high school, so they also need to find a new location. 

Berg tells KBND News, the effort is about forming relationships with the people they help, "As people come through the gate to get wood, we can't charge them anything, but we ask if they're able to give us a donation. And almost everybody says, 'Oh, Absolutely! Because if it wasn't for this thing being here, I wouldn't have heat in the winter time'."

Nativity Wood Lot is open every Saturday morning for volunteers and those in need of wood to heat their home. To learn more, visit Nativity Wood Lot on Facebook.