REDMOND, OR -- A local food pantry says the need for food assistance is at the greatest they’ve seen. “Our demand has gone up two times, 2.5 times what we experienced during COVID. And before COVID, we're looking at three times the amount of food needed,” NeighborImpact’s Food Program Director Carly Auten tells KBND News all Central Oregon counties are affected, “The average food insecurity rate across the nation is 12.8% and we are seeing higher numbers than that in Jefferson County, and similar numbers in Crook and Deschutes County.”
40% of Oregonians can’t meet basic food and housing needs. “We know that at this point there isn't really an end in sight. I mean, we just hope for things to level off, but we haven't seen that yet,” Auten says.
NeighborImpact receives state funding to buy food, but it doesn’t go far enough. She says they rely heavily on monetary donations from the public, “The biggest value for the dollar is for us to be purchasing truckloads of food because we get it at bulk pricing.”
Neighborimpact is also building a larger warehouse in order to stock more food and other supplies.
Maragas Winery hosts a Christmas Eve fundraiser to benefit NeighborImpact. Donations will be collected during an open house at the winery in Culver from 11:30 am to 3 pm.
photo: Future Warehouse Rendering
