Hunger Prevention Coalition of Central Oregon Dissolves After 26 Years

The Hunger Prevention Coalition, a charitable nonprofit that has raised and provided funds to support food distribution in Central Oregon since 2000, has announced its dissolvement.

“This was not an easy decision,” HPC Board Chair Robin Popp told the Source. “But the entire board agrees that the HPC has come to a point where the needs we helped fulfill are currently being met by the individual agencies we were assisting financially.”

Many current HPC board members no longer live in Central Oregon, and “recruitment of new members has become problematic,” Popp added.

HPC’s work began a quarter-century ago. Community members at the time saw that local food agencies were lacking the financial support necessary to consistently procure nutritious options, like fresh fruits and vegetables, and provide them to those in need.

“HPC developed a program called ‘Help Fill Empty Plates’ whereby placards were placed in local stores – Newport Market, Local Acres, Rays Food Place, St. Vincent de Paul LP to name a few – that told a bit of our story and asked customers to donate a small amount of dollars to be included in their bill,” Popp explained. “The generosity of local shoppers was amazing! Knowing that these donations were going directly to local food agencies, and the money was only being spent on increasing the nutritional value of the meals offered was a big incentive.”

Combating food insecurity is a task on its own; doing so whilst making nutritious items readily available is even more costly. Aware that many food-insecure individuals were unable to access healthy options, and that food stamp recipients were often still priced out of proper nutrition, HPC devoted “100%” of its fundraising to that cause, its board stated.

Food pantries, shelters and other agencies supported by HPC, all located within Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties, were required to provide food services to patrons unconditionally: “No payment, no need to sit through a service, no substance testing, no membership in any organization or group,” Popp said.

Support from Rudy Dory, owner of Newport Avenue Market, got HPC on its feet, enabling the organization to establish a sustaining fund, which, Popp explained, allowed HPC “to purchase necessary supplies, pay taxes and some operating expenses.” Other than a grant writer hired in recent years for fundraising purposes, HPC had no paid employees and board members were volunteers.

HPC became a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit in August 2003. Tax returns reviewed by the Source show that HPC has operated at a net loss overall since 2012, with almost all income coming from community contributions and fundraising. Two years ago, the organization distributed over $90,000 directly to local food agencies from the inheritance of an area resident who had named HPC in his estate.

According to its board, HPC provided funds to around 15 agencies annually, who would use that money to provide over 200,000 annual meals to the community.

“Since 2000, HPC has distributed more than $1.5 million to local agencies within the tri-county area. Our last contribution to the agencies will be in July 2026,” Popp stated.

This article appears in the Source January 22, 2026.