Newport Ave Market :: Community

Newport Ave. Market owners, Rudy and Debbie Dory, believe in Bend. They know that their success relies on a healthy, vibrant community. And because of that, they have always strived to give back generously. “We’re extremely grateful for the support we’ve received,” says Rudy. “So when we get asked to support a good cause, we try and find a way we can help.”

As grocery store owners, they get requests for support from many deserving organizations. While they can’t offer help for every single request, “We try never to say no to any community effort,” Rudy says. From cultural events like The Nature of Words, to social justice organizations like the Human Dignity Coalition, the Dorys try to give whatever help they can.

Rudy has been a past board-member of the United Way and the Bend Chamber of Commerce, as well as a member of the Rotary Club. In 2000 he was named the Deschutes County United Way Volunteer Citizen of the Year, the first time the award was ever given.

“Of course, because we’re in the food business,” Rudy explains, “our favorite group is the Hunger Prevention Coalition.” The Dorys have offered financial and organizational support for the Coalition since its founding in 2000.

According to Debbie, part of the problem of ending hunger locally, “is getting a relatively affluent community like Bend to admit that hunger exists in its midst.” But it does exist, and that fact is in direct conflict with one of the Dorys’ basic beliefs: everyone, no matter who they are, deserves to not go hungry.

The Hunger Prevention Coalition was founded in 2000 with advice and financial assistance from the Dorys, and the Newport Avenue Market’s Help Fill Empty Plates program provides a large percentage of the Coalition’s funding.

The Help Fill Empty Plates program is a version of something the Dorys saw going on elsewhere in the country during some of their many trips taken on behalf of the Independent Grocers Alliance. Coupons are provided at checkout stands that customers can hand to the cashier to scan right along with their groceries. Although the coupon amounts are small, they can go a long way toward feeding a needy individual or family.

One thing the Dorys appreciate about the program is that every cent donated by them and their customers goes directly toward feeding hungry people. And the Hunger Prevention Coalition tries to provide truly nutritious food – primarily fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy. If you would like to join Rudy and Debbie in the fight against hunger, please fill out the coupon, they're at every check stand!

Helping to provide nutritious food for those less fortunate than themselves is just one way that Rudy and Debbie Dory try to give back to the Central Oregon community that they feel has supported and given them so much. From allowing school clubs to hold fund raising car washes in their parking lot, to providing gift baskets for various charitable auctions, they believe that we’re all a part of something larger, and in helping their neighbors they’re also helping themselves.