((L-R) Cristina Morales, Co-Founder & Community Impact Officer at PIE; Michele Emery, Bend-La Pine Education Foundation (BLEF) Board President; Cheri Helt, Board Member, BLEF; Jason Myhre, Chief Communications Officer at Pahlisch Homes; Jamie Goldman, Co-Executive Director, BLEF; Anne Westerhoff, Co-Executive Director, BLEF; Jamie Bianchini, Founder and CEO of Purpose In Expenses (PIE) | Photo courtesy of Bend-La Pine Education Foundation)
Pahlisch Homes, with the help of Purposes In Expense (PIE), have awarded the Bend-LaPine Education Foundation $21,925. The funding will directly impact the lives and education of students in Bend-LaPine schools via the Foundation’s classroom enrichment projects to support innovative, challenging curricular extensions and learning opportunities for students through Career and Technical Education.
Currently, the District has 34 CTE programs across seven high schools where participating students are learning skills that can lead to highly skilled and in demand careers. The Pahlisch donation will be specifically used with CTE programs in construction, welding, and business programs, which are pathways that develop skills students would need to consider a career with companies like Pahlisch Homes.
“We are grateful to Pahlisch Homes and PIE for their incredible support of our students and commitment to investing in their bright futures. Their generous contribution not only uplifts our students but also enriches the entire community,” shared Michele Emery, Education Foundation board president.
“The construction trades are critical to the health of our communities, yet the programs that prepare our future builders are often under-resourced,” said Jason Myhre, chief communications officer at Pahlisch Homes. “We are grateful for the Education Foundation’s commitment to strengthening local CTE pathways, especially in the construction trades, and we are proud to support their work. We also want to thank Purpose In Expenses for bringing this opportunity to us. Their innovative approach to funding local nonprofits made this contribution possible. If we want a strong trade workforce tomorrow, we must invest in the students who are showing up today with the passion to build.”
“This donation proves what’s possible when we keep our community’s capital right here at home,” said Jamie Bianchini, founder and CEO of Purpose In Expenses (PIE). “In just six months of partnership with Pahlisch Homes, the PIE model transformed routine business expenses into nearly $22,000 of impact for local students. Imagine what we could accomplish if every business in Central Oregon optimized its vendor relationships this way. This is the future of community-driven commerce.”
“My time as a Latino family liaison at Bend High showed me how powerful the right resources can be for students,” said Cristina Morales, co-founder and community impact officer at PIE. “Now, in my role at Purpose and Expenses, and as a parent of a high schooler, supporting the CTE programs feels especially meaningful. I’ve seen firsthand the opportunities CTE creates, and I’m proud we could help Pahlisch Homes direct this contribution to the Foundation.”
About Bend-La Pine Education Foundation:
Started in 1988, the Bend-La Pine Education Foundation is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit composed of parents, community leaders, educators, and citizens who share the belief that a vibrant public school system is essential to the social and economic well-being of our community. The Foundation mobilizes community resources to fund innovative academic, STEAM, CTE, art, music and wellness programs that go beyond normal school funding at the 33 schools within the Bend-La Pine School District. Other programs include Activity Fee Scholarships and Perseverance Scholarships.
