The Bend Food Project helps feed the area’s hungry year-round

Saturday was another big collection day

BEND, Ore., (KTVZ) -- Saturday was another big collection day for the Bend Food Project, an organization dedicated to fighting hunger.

Tons of food were brought in and sorted out by volunteers before being it was sent to The Giving Plate, Bend’s largest food pantry. The food pantry distributes food to more than 2,700 individuals a month, between all three of our hunger-relief programs.

“A big portion of what goes on here is that we collect food for kids," said Sue Marceaux, co-founder of the Bend Food Project. "Sixty percent of the people that come into The Giving Plate are children."

Marceaux said she and her husband started the project seven years ago, and it has collected 750,000 pounds of food.

“The need here in Central Oregon -- one out of seven people suffer from food insecurity, and most people are so generous during the holidays," Marceaux said. "But we collect food year-round, and that’s the difference -- people are hungry year-round. “

The final tally of collections this month came to 42,929 pounds of food. The organization has two collection days every other month.

To continue giving back to the community, Marceaux said gaining more volunteers would be helpful, because the organization is 100% volunteer-based.

People can always contribute as donors, or as neighborhood coordinators.

"Neighborhood coordinators -- they build a neighborhood of donors, and we give each donor a green bag, and we ask them to fill it every two months," Marceaux said.

Marceaux said she's happy about the work that she does and will continue to do.