United Way awards $49,000 in emergency grants to 10 Deschutes County nonprofits
DESCHUTES COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The United Way of Central Oregon today announced it awarded $49,000 in Emergency Food & Shelter Grants to ten local nonprofit agencies. The funding will support financially vulnerable residents across Deschutes County.
This funding, originating from Deschutes County video lottery revenue, is distributed by the United Way of Central Oregon through an annual grantmaking process. A volunteer Local Emergency Food & Shelter Board, composed of community members, experts and representatives from local agencies, reviews grant applications and determines the awards.
For 2026, the Local Emergency Food & Shelter Board prioritized organizations with programs that offset the cost of basic needs, housing, utilities and transportation for financially vulnerable community members. These programs provide gift cards and vouchers directly to existing clients.
The ten grant recipients for 2026 are:
- Bend First United Methodist Church with $1,200
- Central Oregon Baby Resources with $1,000
- Central Oregon Veteran and Community Outreach with $5,000
- Jericho Road with $6,550
- Saving Grace with $10,000
- St. Vincent de Paul La Pine with $8,500
- St. Vincent de Paul Redmond with $10,000
- The Giving Plate with $5,250
- Central Oregon Homelessness Alliance with $1,000
- Storydwelling with $500.
Diana Fischetti, Regional Executive Director for United Way of Central Oregon, emphasized the immediate impact of the grants.
“These grants help local organizations respond quickly when individuals and families face immediate financial challenges,” Fischetti said. She added that “many ALICE families – those earning above the federal poverty level but less than the cost of living – are struggling to afford the rising costs of housing, food, transportation and other essentials.”
Fischetti also noted the significance of the resources.
“These resources provide practical support at critical moments,” she said. “We are grateful to Deschutes County for its continued investment in our community and to the volunteer Local EFS Board members who thoughtfully steward these funds to meet emerging needs.”
The 2026 award marks the second year of a shift in the program's funding landscape. Historically, the United Way of Central Oregon distributed Emergency Food & Shelter Grants alongside funds from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency Emergency Food & Shelter Program, totaling approximately $300,000 in grants across Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson Counties in 2024. In 2025, federal EFSP funding was paused.
Deschutes County video lottery revenue has been the sole source of funding for these grants since federal funds were paused, providing $58,800 in 2025 and $49,000 this year. The Emergency Food & Shelter Grant funding is distributed solely to organizations serving residents of Deschutes County.
Agencies receiving Deschutes County funding for the same or similar work are not eligible for these grants.
United Way of Central Oregon anticipates $51,450 will be available to allocate in Emergency Food & Shelter Grants in spring 2027.
