No one expects to be in need of assistance to obtain food for themselves or their family. We are not trained to fend for ourselves outside of traditional food sources such as grocery stores, farmers markets, or restaurants. Assistance is traditionally considered to be only for those in dire straights. We have a picture in our minds of this person and he or she doesn’t look like us, but that picture can quickly dissolve into the image in the mirror when we experience widespread economic distress or, say, a pandemic. Suddenly we are all together in a new world of need. And the stigma associated with asking for help can be overwhelming. “One of the big things I’ve had to learn is how powerful the shame of utilizing social services is,” says Jordan Reeher, executive director at St. Vincent de Paul of Bend. “Our culture encourages statements about how people take advantage of the system and people in need of the system know that. It takes everything in them to come and ask for help.”
St. Vincent de Paul of Bend (St. Vincent’s) is more than just a food pantry. While food boxes are their most frequent request, since 1981 St. Vincent’s also provides clothing, help with obtaining identification, propane, affordable housing (on premises), bus passes for in-town transport, and help with utility shut-off notices and prescriptions. With only two full-time staff, it operates with volunteers doing much of the direct work with guests. One of their dedicated volunteers is Conni Slape. She has been volunteering at St. Vincent’s for 10 years and for another local free-food program, Family Kitchen, for 20 years. She’s kind of a super star in the local nonprofit food services world. Asked why she’s involved, Conni says, “We don’t do it to be busy. We do it for the love of our neighbors in need. We all need exactly the same things to get through our days.” Her husband George and son John also volunteer their time doing pick up and delivery of food donations from Neighbor Impact, the region’s Oregon Food Bank distributor.
Food pantries offer groceries with varying regularity (weekly or monthly) free of charge to those who qualify, usually based on income levels. In the past, food boxes have been provided in a “take what you’re given” type of system. In a move that offers more dignity and less waste, area food pantries have adopted what is known as the ‘shopping method’. Essentially, this transforms the pantry into a small grocery store where guests shop by choosing what they want from the shelves.Gary Hewitt is the Food Pantry Manager at St. Vincent’s. Since the shopping model was put in place, he has noticed that guests actually take less food than when it was simply presented to them in a pre-filled box. He also notes that many people cry happy tears at having the choice. He smiles as he recounts the many times he’s heard, “I can have all this?” from guests. With COVID-19 safety measures in place, pantries are temporarily using a shopping list that guests fill out and volunteers then pick from the shelves.
Food for the St. Vincent’s pantry is gleaned from grocery stores, provided by Neighbor Impact, and some is purchased. Boxes are available once per month and have an average of 120 pounds of food (with an approximate value of $200) for a family of four. St. Vincent’s is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. with additional hours on Monday afternoons from 3 – 6 p.m. All services are available during open hours, including sack lunches for those in need of a ready-made meal.
Bill Van Til is a volunteer heading up the Nativity Lutheran Church Food Pantry.Open to the public on Tuesdays from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. since 2009, this pantry initially served predominantly Head Start families whose children attended school in the church building. In 2019 during just the two hours each week, they had 2,300 household visits equaling approximately 143,000 pounds of food. Bill is known in the local nonprofit food service world as the “Bread Guy” because his career background pre-retirement was in bread distribution. He can always find – and share – excess bread he gleans from area outlets.
Rounding out the main consistent food pantry resource list in the Bend area are The Giving Plate and the Salvation Army. Between these four entities and the local free served meal locations, no one should ever go hungry in our town. And yet, there’s that stigma.
You can help. Take to heart this statement from Jordan Reeher when asked what St. Vincent’s needs as an organization are right now: “We need to change that culture where people’s perception is that it’s 80% taking advantage and 20% in need. It’s maybe 10% taking advantage and I’d rather make the 90% in need more comfortable than spend time regulating the others. If I had my choice, I would ask that people have grace for those who are in a tough spot. Extend grace first.”
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL OF BEND 950 SE 3rd St # B, Bend. 541.389.6643 StVincentdePaulBend.org
NATIVITY LUTHERAN CHURCH FOOD PANTRY 60850 Brosterhous Road, Bend. 541.388.0765 NativityinBend.com
THE GIVING PLATE 1245 SE 3rd St C7, Bend 541.797.6883 TheGivingPlate.org
SALVATION ARMY 541 NE Dekalb Ave, Bend. 541.389.8888 Bend.SalvationArmy.org
For a complete listing of food resources in our area, please visit NeighoborImpact.org or ThriveCentralOregon.org