Bend’s Giving Plate gets community help after event postponed
Volunteers come together to cover losses for $1,000 spent on flowers
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Giving Plate in Bend is already running low on volunteers amid the coronavirus outbreak. Now, a large event the food bank had planned for Saturday has been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, causing even more problems.
The Giving Plate spent $1,000 on flowers for its red-carpet gala celebrating 10 years of helping the Bend community. All other vendors have been working with the food bank to put their orders on hold, but the floral distributor “wouldn’t respond,” according to Executive Director Ranae Staley.
So the The Giving Plate was stuck -- that is, until Moms Club of Bend and Blissful Blossoms came into the picture.
One volunteer, Colette Schuchardt, is working overnight Friday to turn the flowers into 24 arrangements.
"Anything I can do to help so people can get food on their tables, I'm right here.”
Colette Schuchardt, Volunteering to arrange flowers
"I think about with what's happening with the economy right now, everything that people -- all the ways that people are impacted by the coronavirus,” Schuchardt told NewsChannel 21 Friday. “The Giving Plate is going to be much more needed right now than, I think, they ever have in our community. Anything I can do to help so people can get food on their tables, I'm right here.”
Schuchardt said they’ll be selling the flowers Saturday. Each arrangement costs $40, and all proceeds will go straight to The Giving Plate.
If you would like to purchase a bouquet, or simply donate, Moms Club of Bend President Annie Cheever said you can send money through Venmo to @momsclubbendor, along with an email to momsclubofbendor@gmail.com with information to arrange a flower pick-up or drop-off.
