'It's a milestone we never thought we would achieve': Bend nonprofit hits 1 million meals as need keeps growing

(Update: Adding video and comments from founders)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Bend Food Project, a nonprofit focused on alleviating food insecurity in Central Oregon, has hit a major milestone: the collection of enough food to create over one million meals.

By contrast, their first collection event in October of 2015 collected food to create 2,100 meals.

“It’s an astonishing number,” said Larry Marceaux of the Bend Food Project. “We never dreamed we could hit this goal of one million meals so soon. Central Oregonians have been quick to volunteer, and donors have been very generous.”

One million meals equates to over 1,250,000 pounds of food.

Donors are given a now-infamous green bag. For two months, the donor keeps the bag in their pantry, and adds a can or two of non-perishable food after a trip to the grocery store. Every other month, a neighborhood coordinator picks up the bag from the front porch of the donor and transports the bags to a central location.

According to the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance, 13% of residents in Jefferson, Crook and Deschutes County experience food insecurity.

The Bend Food Project is feeling the stretch this year.

"Since last year, the same timeframe, the need is up 23%. More people are walking into the food pantries here in Central Oregon asking for help." said Sue Marceaux, co-founder of the Bend Food Project.

In 2015, the project was launched with 10 friends. Today, there are 235 neighborhood coordinators who collect food from 3,600 donors every other month.

The growth in volunteers/donors is critical, as the number of people who are food insecure is up 30 percent in the last year.

“Our goal this year is to grow our volunteer/donor base, to keep up with the increasing need in our community," Sue Marceaux said. "Given the high cost of living in Central Oregon, this need will only get larger."

The project is partnered with The Giving Plate, another nonprofit that provides food for families in need. The Bend Food Project collects non-perishable food around the community in their warehouse, where it's picked up by The Giving Plate and brought back for people to receive.

This month, the project collected 42,000 pounds of food. At The Giving Plate warehouse, shelves are beginning to look empty, as in just two weeks, the facility has gone through half of the collection.

"Each guest gets approximately 19 pounds of food, and so a family of four get 76 pounds. and they can come in here every other week." Marceaux said.

Bend Food Project’s next collection event will be held in October. The Green Bags are delivered to a central location and sent from there to The Giving Plate distribution facility.

“We’re now aiming for that 2 million pound mark,” Marceaux said. “We’ve got a pretty impressive, giving community here.”

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