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Central Oregon Gives 2025
In honor of this week’s Give Guide, the Source team spent some time exploring the stories of a few local nonprofits. Click the images below to read each story. View complete list of nonprofits inside the Give Guide
We Are All One
WE are all one. We ARE all one. We are ALL one. We are all ONE. Say each line to yourself and put emphasis on each capitalized word. Slowly repeat. …
Free Will Astrology Week of Nov. 6
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Martin Luther King Jr. said that harnessing our pain and transforming it into wise love can change the world for the better. More than any other sign, Scorpio, you understand this mystery: how descent can lead to renewal, how darkness can awaken brilliance. It’s one of your birthrights to embody King’s…
Hope by the Plateful
On Halloween Day, the bustle of the Family Kitchen was at peak crescendo during lunch time. Eighties club music mixed with the clack of utensils as two dozen diners spread across rows of communal tables. A father and young child played Scrabble while noshing on homemade pizza squares. Others spooned chili, sipped coffee and chatted.…
Diversability, Inc. Creates Connection for Those With Disabilities
The first thing to know about Diversability: Its name is the word the nonprofit would prefer people use when referring to those with varying disabilities. “Disability” refers to something someone cannot do, while “diversability” indicates that someone’s abilities are, instead, diverse. The founding of Diversability, Inc was a labor of love. Founder Amanda Hamer started…
Navigating a Sober World
Gina has been fighting alcohol addiction for decades. “I realized, wow, I’m drinking to get drunk. I’m drinking to black out,” she says. She was arrested four times within 10 years for driving under the influence, resulting in her losing her driver’s license for 10 years. She spent time in jail, lost several jobs, even tried rehab —which didn’t work. Her mother, daughters and…
What Central Oregon Seniors Need to Know About The Upcoming Year With Medicare
For many Central Oregon residents, fall doesn’t just mean changing leaves and cooler temperatures. It also marks the arrival of Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period. Running from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, AEP is the one time of year when most people with Medicare can make changes to their coverage for the following year. Whether you’re…
Bourbon and Bellows Bring Heartfelt Acoustic Music to Bend
If you’re in search of a night full of good vibes and amazing music, don’t miss Bourbon and Bellows’ performance at Silver Moon Brewing on Saturday, Nov. 15. Hailing from Washington State, the acoustic four-piece band blends the genres of New Orleans folk, blues and gypsy jazz to create a rich sound that will be…
New Asian-Inspired Store/Cafe Opening in Downtown Bend
A new store is opening in downtown Bend. Pika Pika, on NW Bond Street next to Red Chair Gallery, will specialize in Asian-inspired pop culture collectibles paired with a mini-cafe. Owner Vivienne Mariotti says customers will find designer toys, blind boxes, plushies, stationery and character items from brands like Labubu, Sonny Angel and Smiski. The…
Letters to the Editor, Week of Nov. 6
Correction/Clarification for publicationIn the letter, “A Lack of Oversight” (Oct. 29, 2025), the author implies that NeighborImpact has operational oversight or involvement in the permanent supportive housing project at Cleveland Commons. This is inaccurate. NeighborImpact does not operate, manage, or provide services at Cleveland Commons. The agency’s only connection to the property is ownership of…
The Reed Market Railroad Bridge is In View
The City of Bend has revealed the proposed bridge design for the Reed Market railroad overpass. The bridge will stretch from American Lane east to just past SE Quill Place. Access at American Lane will continue to exist when the bridge opens, but access to SE Ninth Street will be modified. The intersection will be…
Plans for Managed Camp in Redmond Move Forward
Plans for a managed camp for the unhoused in Redmond moved forward this week, when the Redmond City Council, as well as the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners, voted to allocate additional dollars to the effort. A plan to offer a sanctioned camping area for the town’s unhoused population has been in the works…
If Feeding the Hungry Isn’t Big Government’s Role, Show Us Whose Role It Is
As we write this, one in eight Americans is living in an existential limbo. Monday was the deadline for the Trump Administration to say whether it would follow the rule of law and comply with a judge’s order to release emergency funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — a lifeline for a vast contingent…
Planning To Sell in 2026? Start the Prep Now
You’ve got big plans for 2026. But what you do this year could be the difference between a smooth sale and a stressful one. If you’re thinking of selling next spring (the busiest season in real estate), the smartest move you can make is to start prepping now. As Realtor.com says: “If you’re aiming to sell in…
How Do You Say ‘Hasta Que Olvidemos’?
Hasta Que Olvidemos is now simply Olvi. “The reason for the change is probably pretty obvious: no one could pronounce or remember the original name,” Brian Trottier told the Source. “We knew it would be a mouthful when we first opened but we hoped that, in time, it would catch on. We were wrong. Even our most…
Manslaughter Conviction Overturned on Appeal
The Oregon Court of Appeals reversed and remanded the manslaughter conviction of Ian Cranston. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of manslaughter in the first and second degree, first-degree assault and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon in the shooting death of 22-year-old Barry Washington…
Stressful Times for SNAP Recipients
More than 23,000 households in Central Oregon face uncertainty about food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program after Monday’s announcement that they will only receive half of their benefits in November. The program was set to lapse on Nov. 1 due to the federal government shutdown, but on the eve of despair, two federal court judges ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to distribute emergency funds. On Monday, Nov.…
From Andromeda With Love
If you’re a hopeless film fan like myself, then you more than likely feel some kind of way about the films of Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos. Whether you’re a fan of his darker, edgier earlier work like “Dogtooth” and “Alps,” or of his more whimsical and experimental later films like “The Lobster” and “The Favourite,”…
Dank Drinks: Is Ganja You Glug Any Good?
For many people, smoking or vaping cannabis are their primary methods of getting high, followed by scarfing an edible. (Or, if you are me, both at the same time. #dontjudgeme) But there is a growing number turning to hemp-derived, THC-infused beverages. And recent moves within the industry mean you may start seeing these drinks in…
The Astounding Jim Schmit & His Fantastic Museum
Walking down the main strip in Sisters, an extremely rare car sits noticeably parked in front of a little spot known as the Fantastic Museum. A Doval Shadow, rumor has it that only 20 of the vehicles were ever made. But as rare as that car may be, it’s nothing compared to the man who…
California Honeydrops
“You’re talking ancient history here, man,” laughed Lech Wierzynski, responding to a question during a late-June interview about the year he moved out to the Bay Area after studying ethnomusicology at Oberlin College in Ohio. Ancient history by his definition is 20 or so years, but it’s easy to understand why things might be a…
The Journey Back to the Wild
Think Wild is Central Oregon’s nonprofit wildlife hospital and conservation center, caring for sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife while educating the public about coexistence and stewardship. Since opening for animal care in 2020, Think Wild has grown in staffing, services and the number of wildlife helped directly at its hospital. The spring and summer…
Our Daily Bread: The Bakers Who Keep Central Oregon Rising
If you were lucky enough to snag a crusty loaf or flaky croissant at the farmers markets this summer, you already know that Bend’s small-batch bakers are doing something special. Their stalls were often lined with early risers and bread lovers, hands clutching paper bags filled with sourdough, seeded loaves and buttery pastries still warm…
