​Over the last two days, over a dozen Downtown Bend businesses put their hearts, time, money, and community spirit into helping those displaced by Oregon fires.   Although many Downtown Bend businesses are themselves struggling to stay afloat, stay healthy, and make ends meet for themselves and their valued team members, they were still happy to embrace the ‘Bend spirit’ of kindness, contribution, and stewardship.
 
Many restaurants prepared meals for those in our local shelters and Bend motels, other restaurants hosted families for a meal at their place of business, and business owners and staff from Downtown’s retail and spa industries gave time and money to make these efforts possible.

​Juli Hamdan, of Joolz Mediterranean Restaurant in Downtown Bend, put out the call for help on the morning of Sept 14th.  Businesses responded quickly with big hearts and a ‘can-do’ attitude.  Hamdan coordinated all the efforts and worked with the Red Cross to fill their local needs.
 
Businesses in Downtown Bend that contributed to these efforts include, but our not limited to, Joolz, 900 Wall, Barrio Bend, Oxford Hotel, 5 Fusion, Wild Rose, JDub, Bellatazza, Bend Brewing Co, Velvet Lounge, Sidelines, Jackalope Grill, Cafe Sintra, aos Skincare, At Liberty, Romantique, Feather’s Edge, Zydeco, and Bend Film.

For Immediate Release, Aug 24th, 2020

Bend, Or - The Downtown Bend Business Association (DBBA), a small nonprofit dedicated to increasing the vitality of Downtown Bend, announced today that it has created a Cultural Awareness and Social Diversity Coordinator position to serve as an ex-officio on their Board of Directors.  This role will coordinate and guide efforts to define, assess, foster and cultivate diversity and inclusion in Downtown Bend.  

To drive this effort, the DBBA has named Riccardo Waites as the organization’s first Cultural Awareness and Social Diversity Coordinator.

Waites is a naval submarine veteran, single father, small business owner, and Founder of Central Oregon Black Leaders Assembly (COBLA).

Back in 2019, Bend City Councilors unanimously approved goals for the 2019 – 2021 biennium that included, for the first time, actions focused on “embedding a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within the City of Bend.”   At the time when this goal was established, the DBBA was in full support of these efforts and they also began working with city staff in their efforts to make Bend a Welcoming City.

Since this time, our world has shifted and changed in more ways than one and we are seeing now more than ever the need to bring experts on this diversity and inclusion into every level of leadership.  In establishing this new position, the DBBA wants to communicate that Downtown Bend is for everyone, that Black Lives Matter, and that we welcome and honor people of all races, ethnicity, culture, country of origin, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender, language, socioeconomic status, emotional, developmental and physical ability. 

​In April, the DBBA partnered with OUT Central Oregon to encourage local businesses to display a "You are Welcome Here" sticker on their windows.  Next month, you’ll see “Downtown is for Everyone” in white, yellow, brown, black and rainbow letters on Downtown Bend Directory Maps. 

“It is important to our organization that people who live in our community, and those who visit us, know that it doesn’t matter what the color of their skin is, or who they love, Downtown is a place for everyone.”  says Aisling, Executive Director of the DBBA. 
​
​Waites hopes to bring a sense of inclusion, safety, and more businesses of color to Downtown.

Downtown Bend was established in 1903, and for over a 100 years has served as the heart of the Bend community.  Downtown serves as Bend’s living room, the entrepreneurial hub of the city, the City’s largest collective employer, and the #1 tourist destination in Central Oregon.   Downtown offers unique boutiques, award-winning restaurants, state-of-the-art beauty and spa services, and high-quality entertainment venues. 

Downtown welcomes everyone to enjoy all that their district has to offer.

Beautiful space available on Wall Street in Downtown Bend! 
Front door shares an alcove with Joolz Mediterranean Restaurant.
The main room is 1874 sq ft, the mezzanine is 207 square feet, and half the common area [bathrooms and alley entrance ] is 340 square feet.
The rent on the main space is $2.25 per sq ft and the other areas are $1.25 per square foot.
The term is 5 years
The space is rectangular, has high ceilings and a wood floor. 

The Downtown Bend Business Association (DBBA) is a tiny nonprofit dedicated to increasing the vitality of Downtown Bend.  We are responsible for everything from daily sidewalk sweeping to the planning & development of what Downtown Bend will look like in the future. We run the banner program in Downtown, we provide and care for the flower baskets in the summer, we decorate during the winter, we run community events like Ladies Night and Shop Small Saturday, we create and keep up to date all the Downtown Bend websites and social media, we communicate with all 400+ DBBA members anything and everything that has to do with Downtown, we work closely with Bend Police, the City of Bend, DPAC, MPO, and other community organizations to make sure the needs of Downtown are met, we raise funds to grow the ways in which we can serve Downtown and we provide the vision for what Downtown will look like in the future.  We have a staff of just 3 people for this HUGE scope of work, and the DBBA Board of Directors plays a key role in supporting staff, guiding the organization, and developing it's growth & expansion.   

The DBBA is a Mainstreet USA subsidiary.  As such, our organization and board of directors have certain requirements they must maintain.  Here is an outline of how Mainstreet USA boards help small towns all across America thrive:

Board of Directors

• Attend Meetings
• Understand the organization & it's scope of work
• Understand the bylaws, state nonprofit laws & organizational policies
• Have a working knowledge of financial statements
• Assist with risk management
• Provide a strategic direction and accountability to members
• Comply with the Open Public Meetings Act
• Keep necessary information confidential
• Make sure that no director has a conflict of interest
• Obey the mission and bylaws, state and federal laws, adhere to policies of grants, donors.

Mainstreet Boards:

• Are both governing boards and working boards
• Deal with both the present and the future
• Raise funds for the district
• Recommend and orient new board members
• Advocate for the organization
• Monitor and grow the organization's programs
• Support the Executive Director

​For more information about Mainstreet Boards, click here.

When you serve on the DBBA Board of Directors, you have the opportunity to guide and shape our beloved Downtown Bend's growth and development.  Directors serve for the betterment of ALL of Downtown - not one single agenda.  At times, serving as a director might be difficult as it requires individuals to set aside what might be their personal agenda or goals for Downtown to support the overall betterment and vision of Downtown.  Being a director is being a part of a team of passionate, caring people who are working to make Downtown Bend a better place. 

The DBBA Executive Director is tasked with being the 'expert' on Downtown - working with DBBA members, DBBA staff, the public, key stakeholders, community groups, committee's & more to be constantly educated about, and assessing the needs of, Downtown within the greater Bend community.  The Board of Directors helps the Executive Director & DBBA staff by asking key questions like;

• What is your vision for this program?  Where would you like to see it in 5 years?
• What are the risks and opportunities if we develop a new program?
• Tell us a bit about staffing in this area – where is it relative to 2-3 years ago?  What impact has that had?
• How do folks know this service is available? How would you rate our marketing efforts?  What else is needed?
• Is there a way for we as Board members to get involved that would add value to the organization or to your ability to provide these services?
• What service is needed most right now?  What support would staff need to provide this service?

​Every Board Director provides their unique wisdom for the growth and development of the organization and it's programs.  Collectively, the Board provides a strong, supportive framework, and the big-picture vision for the staff to work under.  The Board works together to set annual goals, and works with staff to continually assess these goals and what is needed to accomplish them.

By collaborating together, the DBBA board and staff are able to build and grow strong programs that achieve their mission - to increase the vitality of Downtown Bend! 

As a DBBA Board Director you will:

1. Learn a plethora about Downtown, it's history, programs & how it interacts with the rest of the City
2. Get to work with a team of others who are passionate about Downtown Bend
3. Guide and shape the Downtown Bend of tomorrow
4. "Get your hands dirty" and work on projects and events you are passionate about
5. Bring your experience and wisdom to the DBBA board & staff team
6. Have fun!

If you are interested in serving as a DBBA Board director, please click here for more information & to apply. 

On June 3, 2020, City Council approved the use of public ROW for businesses who are wishing to serve patrons in streets and/or alleys. 
 
Attached you will find:
1.Business Process – Outlines the process the City will take, at expeditious speeds, to issue you a Revocable ROW Permit for these uses.
2.Expansion Checklist – Outlines the different items necessary for submittal to the City of Bend prior to issuance of the Revocable ROW Permit.
3.ROW Application – NO FEE - Please complete this application to the best of your ability. If you have questions while completing this, please reach out to me for assistance.
4.Sidewalk Café License Application – $100 Fee - If you have already submitted an application, then you DO NOT need to apply again. If you haven’t submitted this application and the necessary insurance, you will need to do so prior to issuance of the Revocable ROW Permit. These will be processed expeditiously in 1-2 business days.
5.Use of ROW Agreement – NO FEE - This is required for businesses or groups of businesses prior to issuance of the Revocable ROW Permit.
 
On the traffic control plan, you will need to describe on the plan or separately, you will need to describe how you plan to create a barrier between your patrons in the street and the active vehicular traffic, if that is part of your proposal. The City of Bend has a very limited amount of traffic control devices at this time due to road maintenance projects, so please reach out to local resources for those devices for your ROW closures.
 
Please take a moment to review these materials.

The Downtown Bend Business Association (DBBA) is a small nonprofit dedicated to increasing the vitality of Downtown Bend.  They keep Downtown clean, graffiti free & accessible, they create the ‘look and feel’ of Downtown Bend as you know it, including decorations & banners, and they advocate for the needs of Downtown Bend business and building owners. Because much of their funding comes from fundraising events, like Bend Oktoberfest, which has been canceled because of COVID19, the organization will be operating with a limited budget this next fiscal year.
 
“As a small non-profit we rely on our community to help fund beautification projects in Downtown Bend” says Mindy Aisling, Executive Director of the DBBA, “this year, because we will be unable to hold our usual fundraising events, we will be relying more than ever on direct donations from our community.

Recently, the Bend Relo team at Fred Real Estate Group made a generous donation to the DBBA to support them in continuing their services during these difficult times.

“We want to lead by example and the DBBA’s mission is something we feel aligned with. Bend is a community and economy of small businesses and we want to be supportive where we can.” said David Keyte with Bend Relo at Fred Real Estate Group.
 
The DBBA wanted to use the funds to do something special to brighten up Downtown, something that would be a long-lasting investment with a positive message.  As a small non-profit, the DBBA is always working to stretch every dollar.  As such, the DBBA reached out to Brilliance and Branding, a long-standing community partner and sponsor of Downtown Bend beautification.  They agreed to discount the costs of banners, and working together, new banners were designed for Downtown Bend.  

The DBBA Board of Directors reports that it is donations like the one from Fred Real Estate Group that allow that allow their staff to continue to do the good work that they do for the community. 
 
“Downtown Bend is truly your classic small town Main Street, funded by the community for the community,” says a DBBA Board Director, “we are incredibly grateful and honored by the generous donation from Bend Relo at Fred Real Estate Group, and, in partnership with Brilliance and Branding, we are delighted to bring further beautification to Downtown Bend.”

PICK-UP “OFFICIAL” TOWER POPCORN FOR YOUR HOME SCREENINGS
 
What goes best with Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or your classic DVDs? Real movie theatre popcorn, that’s what! This Friday, May 8, between 4-7 pm drop-by the Tower Theatre on Wall Street in downtown Bend and take home the tastiest popcorn in Central Oregon for just $3. The freshly-made cinema snack will be individually served in the Tower’s own large disposable paper cups. Candy, cookies, bottled water, soda and wine will also be available for purchase. Enjoy a weekend movie marathon in quarantine as if you were at the theatre!
 
Orders can be placed and paid in advance online, or at the Tower box office. All required sanitizing, social distancing, and face coverings will be utilized. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Tower Theatre Foundation.
 
For details and more information, call 541-317-0700 or email Info@TowerTheatre.org.

Duda's Aussie Pies launched their #feedahealthcareworker program on March 26, designed to allow Duda's friends and family from all over the globe to support our small business and put big smiles on the faces of some amazing Healthcare workers at St. Charles hospital, in Bend.

Bend's incredible healthcare workers are working on the front lines every day, putting their own health at risk for our safety. May we always show gratitude and respect for their selflessness and bravery.

They are the real heroes ❤️

Since day one, Duda's Aussie Pies has delivered over 163 delicious Aussie pies to many different departments of St Charles, including the Emergency Room, Family Birthing Unit, Behavioral Health, Medical Floor, Security, Social Services, The PES unit, Patient Access Services, Admitting unit, and more. Lunch is always very well received and it warms our heart to be able to provide this service, now more than ever!

​​​From the Duda's Aussie Pies team:  Our healthcare workers deserve a medal and while we don’t have any of those, we are happy to take them a yummy pie with chips on your behalf! If you would like to get involved, you can head on over to our website and add the item, “Feed a Healthcare Worker”, to your cart today. 

A HUGE thank you goes out to our amazing donors this far and to the wonderful, Rachelle Hoole for accepting and distributing our lunches on the front lines.