C.O. Health Council aids Giving Plate’s Backpacks for Bend

The Giving Plate adopted the Backpacks for Bend program, which served 321 K-12 students in the Bend-La Pine Schools with weekend food-relief in the 2017/2018 school year.

In their first year running the program, The Giving Plate has expanded the backpack program by 40% to support 450 K-12 students in 28 Bend/La Pine schools with weekend food sacks, ensuring that no child has to face a weekend of hunger.

The Giving Plate was recently honored to receive a $30,000 grant from Central Oregon Health Council to help cover food and program costs for this emergency weekend food-relief program.

This funding will assist in providing 6,300 weekend food bags for food-insecure children before June 2018; in addition, it will help cover some of the expenses for the 2019/2020 school year. The total two-year budget for Backpacks for Bend is $100,920. Central Oregon Health Council’s support will account for 30% of the program’s required funding.

“We are incredibly grateful for Central Oregon Health Council’s partnership in the fight against childhood hunger. Their partnership has lifted a weight as we focus on growing community awareness regarding our adoption of the Backpacks for Bend program and improving the program to reach more children in need,” says The Giving Plate Co-Director Ranae Staley.

Central Oregon Health Council is dedicated to improving the health of the region and providing oversight of the Medicaid population and Coordinated Care Organization (CCO).

Central Oregon Health Council was officially created by Senate Bill 204 in 2011 to promote the health of the region’s residents and seeks to achieve the Triple Aim of improving health outcomes, increasing satisfaction with the health system, and reducing cost. Central Oregon Health Council’s mission is to serve as the governing Board for the CCO and to connect the CCO, patients, providers, Central Oregon, and resources. For more information visit: https://cohealthcouncil.org/

“We are blessed to work in a community that cares so much about each other. It is with gratitude that we are able to be part of feeding our youth and fighting food insecurity,” says Central Oregon Health Council Executive Director Donna Mills

The Giving Plate is a 501(c)3 food pantry that has helped Central Oregon families and individuals struggling with food insecurity since 2010. Its mission is “feeding the hungry today with compassion and hospitality.” To learn more about donating to the Giving Plate visit www.thegivingplate.org/rsvp/ .