Leadership Bend awards $10K to La Pine Community Kitchen

The Leadership Bend Class of 2016 announced that La Pine Community Kitchen was awarded the $10,000 grand prize at Tuesday night’s second annual Central Oregon Impact Summit.

During the “Pitch for a Purpose” event, held at the Riverhouse on the Deschutes Convention Center, five finalists–Deschutes Children’s Foundation, Healthy Beginnings, High Desert Food and Farm, La Pine Community Kitchen and Treehouse Therapies–took the stage to show off the culmination of how the COIS series of four workshops equipped them to better position themselves in our community.

La Pine Community Kitchen, which won the audience-choice award at the 2015 COIS event, helps meet the needs of those experiencing hunger and lack of resources in the southern Deschutes County community by providing free nutritious hot meals, emergency food boxes, fresh produce and clothing.

“Our utility bills are $10,000 a year, so it will provide the electricity, the gas and the water that we need to operate in order to help the 3,000 people we serve every single year,” said Kim Hafermalz, executive director of La Pine Community Kitchen. “I am excited and thrilled…Now I know I can pay these critical expenses.”

In addition to the $10,000 prize a $2,500 audience-choice award was awarded to Treehouse Therapies.

Ken Streater, social entrepreneur, acclaimed author and successful real estate brokerage partner, inspired the crowd of more than 200 during his keynote address.

COIS received a great deal of support from many members of the Central Oregon community. Nonprofits participating in COIS received coaching from Grow Oregon Business Advisor Pam Stevenson; Robert Rekward, co-owner and founder of Delicious Design; George Myers, principal of GMARS Consulting; and Lori Slaughter, philanthropy advisor at EIG & Principal.

“COIS is a legacy project of Leadership Bend,” said Ken Katzaroff, member of the COIS Advisory Board and the Leadership Bend Advisory Board. “We’re excited that the program helped so many nonprofits and engaged our community to such a high degree. We look forward to helping support more nonprofits and emerging leaders in 2017.”

Learn more about the Central Oregon Impact Summit and how to get involved next year at:www.coimpactsummit.com.

Leadership Bend is a nine-month program of the Bend Chamber. The purpose of the COIS is to empower Central Oregon’s nonprofits to strengthen our communities in the region. Learn more about Lea