Case for Support
Local kids are facing more than they should have to.
Every weekday afternoon in Central Oregon, the school bell rings and thousands of kids head into the hours when they are most likely to be unsupervised, hungry, or alone. Rising housing costs push families into second jobs and longer commutes. Rural kids in La Pine and Crook and Jefferson counties have fewer safe places to go than ever. And the numbers below aren't from somewhere else. They're from here.
In Central Oregon
1 in 6 kids doesn't have enough to eat
5,990 children in Deschutes County (15.3%), 1,020 in Crook County (20.5%), and 1,100 in Jefferson County (19.2%) are food insecure. (Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap, 2023)
Poverty hits hardest outside Bend
Child poverty is 8.8% in Deschutes County, 16.3% in Crook County, and 19.5% in Jefferson County. At La Pine Elementary, 66% of students are economically disadvantaged. (U.S. Census SAIPE, 2024; Oregon Department of Education)
Most kids are not at grade level
In Bend-La Pine Schools, only 41.9% of students are proficient in math and 53% in English language arts. Statewide it's worse: 31.5% and 43%. At La Pine Elementary, just 17% are proficient in math and 32% in reading. (Oregon Department of Education, 2024-25)
1 in 3 students is chronically absent
33.5% of Oregon students missed 10% or more of the school year. (Oregon Department of Education)
After 3 PM, too many kids are on their own
106,873 Oregon kids are unsupervised after school. For every child in an afterschool program, three more are waiting for one their family can't find or afford: 234,375 kids (44%) with unmet demand. (Afterschool Alliance, America After 3PM, 2020)
And they're carrying more than we can see
1 in 4 Deschutes County eighth-graders (25.1%) reported symptoms of depression. (Oregon Student Health Survey, 2022)
At Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon, we give local kids a place to belong
Every afternoon, our Clubs in Downtown Bend, East Bend, and La Pine open their doors to kids ages 5 to 18 and offer three things that change a childhood: a safe place, caring adult mentors, and programs built around safety, literacy, and fun.
Academic success. Daily homework help, Power Hour, and reading tutors so that kids who are behind can catch up and kids who are ahead can keep going.
Healthy lifestyles. A hot meal or snack every day, a gym, team sports, and outdoor time in a place where being active is the default.
Good character and leadership. Community service, Youth of the Year, teen leadership programs, and staff who expect every kid to succeed.
Access for every family. No local kid is turned away because their family can't pay. Scholarships cover membership for families who need it most, including local children in foster care who carry their Club membership with them wherever they are placed.
We can't do it alone. We need your help.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon raises most of its budget from scratch every single year. Your gift is what keeps the doors open at 3 PM.
- $[25] provides a week of healthy snacks and meals for a Club kid
- $[100] covers a month of afterschool programming for one child
- $[500] funds a full-year scholarship for a local kid whose family can't afford membership
- $[1,000] sponsors a Club kid for the whole school year, plus summer
[Gift-impact amounts are placeholders to confirm with Alice/finance before this page is linked.]
Donate Now · Volunteer With Us · Leave a Legacy
Questions? Contact Alice Ivie, Chief Development Officer, at alice@bgcco.org or 541-617-2877.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon · 500 NW Wall Street, Bend, Oregon 97703 · 501(c)(3) · Tax ID 93-1127536