Seven reasons to give:

1.  In 2025, Oregon food banks saw a 31% increase from 2024. 

This is a record number of visits. The rising cost of food and housing makes it harder for individuals and families to get the food they need.

2.  1 in 6 kids in Oregon don’t know where their next meal will come from.

According to Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, lack of adequate nutrition has physical, emotional, and cognitive impacts. A skipped or partial breakfast or lunch may lead a child to feel frazzled and anxious. Over time, this child may fall behind a grade level, and ultimately might not graduate from high school due to a lack of essential nutrition and energy during their educational journey in school. 

The Giving Plate delivered 2,124 weekend bags of food for South County children with no food at home, at an average cost of $2.70 per bag. The SRWC was the leading source of funding and support during the 2024/2025 school year.

3.  Hunger Exists Closer Than You Think

Family Access Network Advocate in South County shared the following: “With one of my schools being in Sunriver, I am aware of the food needs in our south county communities. Both La Pine and Sunriver have limited food resources and the travel to Bend can be difficult on a consistent basis for families. Sunriver, in particular, is limited. While La Pine has a food kitchen and food pantries through La Pine Community Kitchen, St. Vincent de Paul and local churches, Sunriver does not have as many options. There is no food kitchen in Sunriver and there are three food pantry options. While the food pantries available do great work, they are only open one day a month with limited hours. The Giving Plate snack bags were the only consistent weekly resource for kids.”

4.  Food banks stretch a dollar further than any of us can as individual consumers. 

For every $10 donated, the Oregon Food Network provides as many as 30 meals — and supports our local economy in the process.  - Oregon Hunger Facts 

SRWC supports local food pantries such as Care & Share Community Outreach and St. Vincent De Paul La Pine to ensure neighbors never have to choose between groceries and other essentials. 

5.  Systemic issues contribute to long-term food assistance needs.

Many families in south Deschutes County don’t know where their next meal will come from - not because of a lack of effort, but because of rising costs of living, seasonal employment and limited access to transportation and educational opportunities. 

Each year, the La Pine Community Kitchen provides over 27,000 instances of assistance, including meals, food pantry distributions, and clothing support. Demand has surged dramatically, with a 40% increase in clients served in the past year and a 30% increase in the last quarter alone. SRWC has supported the kitchen for over 15 years. About 25 hot meals can be served for each $100 donated. 

 6.  Real people are behind the headlines and government squabbling.

"I need food for my family and I have two four-year-old twin boys and I'm a single mom and I hear that food stamps are going to be kind of a struggle next month. And so I'm just trying to prepare a little bit ahead of time,” Tiffany Sanders said. “I don't have any food.”  

-Central Oregon Daily 

”I’ve relied on La Pine Community Kitchen’s hot lunches and in-house food shopping to help support my family. These services have made a real difference—especially during times when food at home was scarce. LPCK made it possible for my sons and me to have a hot meal when we needed it most.”

- Susan Bradley, 73 years old and a proud resident of Deschutes County.

“I first came to La Pine Community Kitchen in May of 2025, during a time when I was struggling to make ends meet. Feeding a family of four on a limited income felt impossible some days. I was worried, stretched thin, and unsure where to turn. But from the moment I walked through LPCK’s doors, everything changed.”

- Kristie Rauhuff, 48 years old, La Pine resident

“When I first walked through La Pine Community Kitchen’s doors in November 2015, I was struggling. I was alone, battling PTSD, and unsure of where to turn. What I found wasn’t just a hot meal—it was compassion. People saw me, welcomed me, and reminded me that I still mattered.”

- Ralph Trevino, 60 years old, a veteran, La Pine resident.

7.  Be part of the solution in our community.

Donate now to the Power of Giving: End Hunger! 

The SRWC evaluates the nonprofits we support financially and structurally. For example, we prefer to give to food sources that include wrap-around services to connect individuals with resources for housing, job training, or other needs to address the root causes of food insecurity.

We require the funds to be used only in south Deschutes County and not spread to other parts of Central Oregon.

We require a report of how our funds were used a year after each award and before any subsequent grants are awarded to ensure funds are used appropriately.

All net proceeds from our fundraising go to philanthropy;  club administration is entirely funded with member dues.

DONATE