Brown Bag program has a second birthday

The Sisters folks who stage the monthly Brown Bag Program celebrated its second anniversary this month at Sisters Christian Church. Jacki Shepardson, founder and local coordinator, was at the heart of activities, just as she was two years ago at the Kiwanis House when the first Brown Bag event occurred in Sisters.

Shepardson and her crew of volunteers unloaded the COCAAN (Central Oregon Community Action Agency Network), sorted, repackaged, and generally prepared over 800 pounds of perishable food for those in need.

Although the Kiwanis Food Bank distributes food to over 50 families each month, it does not have the facilities to handle perishable foods.

The program is modeled from a successful program in San Jose, California.

COCAAN incorporated the program into its Feed the Need program in 2002 in Bend.

Since then the program has expanded to seven distribution sites throughout Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook Counties.

Feed the Need collects almost 20,000 pounds of recovered food each month and distributes it to people in need through the Brown Bag project and through local food banks. Brown Bag now serves more than 1,000 individuals and families each month.

Three days a week the COCAAN truck gathers perishable surplus food from participating Bend and Redmond markets and restaurants. Sisters participants include The Harvest Basket, Ray’s Food Place, Angeline’s Bakery and Cafe, and Sisters Bakery.

The Brown Bag Program is held at Sisters Christian Church, 302 E. Main Ave, on the Second Friday of each month beginning at 6 p.m. For further information call COCAAN at 548-2380 extension 108.