BEND, OR -- The Giving Plate met its $3.5 million fundraising goal for building renovations, and now even more expansion is planned.

Executive Director Ranae Staley says the Bend non-profit food pantry will use its new First Street location as a distribution center and warehouse and will look for another building to house a community store, “We’ve outgrown the building. We’ve grown by 45% overall in 2022. Even if we were able to make it work and get in the building, we would have to instantly be looking at more strategies around to accommodate the growth.” Staley tells KBND News she is hopeful construction on the First street location can start in the spring, “This shift of using our First Street building as our warehouse and distribution center will be very strategic because it will allow us to grow in scale quite a bit…and continue to grow to meet the needs.”

Now, The Giving Plate is searching for a retail space to put the community store. “If all goes well with that, we are open to the idea of what it might look like to take these store-front models throughout Central Oregon in underserved communities. We sit right now in a very strategic position to be able to grow with the need,” says Staley, who expressed gratitude in reaching the fundraising goal after 15 months.

Deschutes County contributed $500,000 to the capital campaign through the American Relief Plan Act. Other funding came from sponsors and private donations.