Brown Bag program distributes food

Volunteers bag fresh food. Photo by Jim Cornelius Folks in Sisters picked up some surplus fresh food through the Sisters Brown Bag program on Friday, March 14.

The program is in place to supplement the food budgets of qualified local residents. The Central Oregon Community Action Agency Network (COCAAN) picks up surplus perishable foodstuffs from Bend and Sisters merchants for distribution on the second Friday of every month from 5 to 6 p.m.

Although it is not affiliated with the Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank, the program uses the Kiwanis facility for distribution.

The program is jointly sponsored by COCAAN and Sisters Head Start.

"The Brown Bag program helps to reduce food waste and landfill space by recovering, collecting and distributing surplus food," said organizer Jacki Shepardson. "Members also get an opportunity to gain knowledge, skills, networking and a sense of community through the training and classes that are offered such as cooking, personal finance management, resumé writing, etc."

Volunteers stock and bag the food.

For more information call 383-2481.