Fill All Pantries

About Fill All Pantries

To our Central Oregon and Fill Your Pantry community,

Central Oregon Fill Your Pantry (FYP), High Desert Food & Farm Alliance (HDFFA), and the Bend Farmers Market (BFM) have come together once again to ensure that every member of our community is included at this year’s Fill Your Pantry event and has access to quality food all year long. We’re asking our community to help raise $75,000 to Fill All Pantries.

Last year, we faced an emergency- threats to pause SNAP benefits during the government shutdown loomed. We were afraid for our underserved communities and we didn’t want to see more hungry people. So, we launched the Fill All Pantries campaign. We had a goal of raising some money to give free food away at FYP. Little did we know that, with your generosity and support, we not only were able to purchase plenty of local food to give away, but we also funded two other food access programs for the year.

We are asking you to help us do it again.

This year, there is no urgent newspaper headline; but there still is an emergency. Americans aren’t losing their SNAP dollars all at once, but they are losing them quietly, rapidly, and in startling amounts. Since the signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill in July 2025, the SNAP program has lost $187 billion dollars in funding and it is estimated around 5 million people have lost access to food stamps with many more Americans having their benefits slashed. As of October 1st, states will also be responsible for shouldering a 25% increase in financial burden for administrative costs to manage the SNAP program (decreasing federal funding from 50% of administration costs to 25%), and potentially causing even more cuts to the program.

If you can help us raise $75,000, the first $15,000 raised will go towards the Fill All Pantries free food giveaway at this year’s Fill Your Pantry event on November 7th. These funds will go towards purchasing roughly 6,000 pounds of storage vegetables and fruit, 150 pounds of meat, 150 loaves of bread, and potentially more. This food procured from local farmers, ranchers, and bakers, will be provided at no cost to anyone in need.

The next $10,000 raised will go towards Bend Farmers Market’s Protein Perks program. The BFM already participates in the Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) grant program administered by the Farmers Market Fund, where SNAP recipients can double their foodstamp dollars (up to $20 each week) to spend on fresh produce at the Bend Farmers Market. The Protein Perks program has been privately funded for XXX years and models itself after DUFB, except for protein! SNAP recipients receive a $6 SNAP match that customers can use to buy complete proteins that are fresh, frozen, or shelf stable. Complete proteins are categorized as fish, eggs, meat and non-spreadable cheese

The next $50,000 will go towards HDFFA’s VeggieRX program. VeggieRx is a free produce prescription program that helps people use food as a tool for better health. Through referrals from healthcare providers, individuals experiencing food insecurity and living with a diet-modifiable health conditions receive weekly "doses" of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with nutrition education to support lasting change. By increasing access to healthy food, VeggieRx works to reduce food insecurity and support improved health outcomes across our community.

HDFFA will collect these monetary donations and will distribute these critical funds to our local farmers and food producers. Funds raised beyond the $75,000 will continue to support HDFFA’s food access and agricultural support programs. As many in our community know, federal fundings for these sorts of programs have been significantly cut in recent years, and foundation funding is being strained because of it. It is increasingly difficult to find funds to put towards important programs like these. But despite the uncertainty, HDFFA is committed to working collaboratively to ensure our community members have access to fresh, healthy food while supporting local farmers and food producers.

Here’s how you can help:

• Spread the word! Let everyone in your circle know that we are raising money to help get more food into the hands of those who need it.

• Send emails, texts, and post on social media letting folks know we are raising money.

• Donate! Donate money to HDFFA, donate food to food pantries, or donate your time and energy to spreading the word or volunteering at food pantries or FYP. No matter our socioeconomic status, we can help our community.

If you are a business interested in sponsoring the Fill All Pantries campaign, please reach out to hello@centraloregonfillyourpantry.com.

A strong community is built on care, reciprocity, and the belief that everyone deserves good food. So this year instead of just Filling Your Pantry, let’s Fill All Pantries together.