Food bank needs help

The Plains Community Food Bank routinely feeds more than 200 people a month, but now it's the food bank that needs feeding.

Bill Alde, who heads the food bank in Plains, said they get the bulk of their food from the Montana Food Bank in Missoula, but for the last two years, he's been able to obtain some 20,000 pounds of food donations from grocery stores and food banks in Polson and Kalispell. "We help 15% to 20% of the county population. Now I'm asking for help because all of my networking has dried up," said Alde, who has run the Plains Community Food Bank for the last five years.

"Last year, I turned down 360 pounds of black angus hamburger because I didn't have freezer space, but now I'm in dire straits," said Alde, who's not sure how long his food supply will last. He's expecting a Montana Food Bank shipment of 1,875 pounds on August 4, but he's sure he'll run out of meat before then. He said the food donations started to slow in April, but in May and June, almost nothing was coming in.

"We have really cut back on all meat products in the last few months," he said, and now the bank has only two partially filled freezers of meat left, which might last only weeks. In March of 2021, he was providing 188 pounds of food to a family of three or more, but in June he had to cut that amount to 80 pounds. Individuals continue to drop off small food donations. A family donated a box of red romaine lettuce last week, but it will go fast, according to Alde, who also donates vegetables from his garden. In the past, they couldn't take such items, but last fall the Montana Food Bank gave them a refrigerator unit, as well as an electric pallet jack to help them with unloading.

He's not sure of the reason for the shortage of food donations, but he said that most people he networks with have told him the demand for food bank services is up 200%-300% and the available food donations from stores are down to 50%. The food bank is still getting small monetary and food donations, but it won't be enough to hold them over and he's afraid that if things don't turn around, they'll have to close their doors, something that had been unheard of last year, when they were considering constructing a new larger building. The food bank had moved from its last location across the street to a larger space in the old church on the corner of Central Avenue and Garber Street. Alde said the plans to construct a new bigger building on the property last year had to be postponed because building supply costs rose drastically higher than the grant money they had, though that, too, is now gone. Studs Building and Home offered to help.

He said the organization's funds are used to purchase food and other items needed by their clients, but their money is also drying up. They still get some monetary donations and grant money, but that is also running out. Cheryl Davis, the food bank's administrator, said they received a $9,000 donation from the Town Pump Foundation last year, an increase of $1,500 from 2020.

The food bank in Plains is a community enterprise, although it's located in a space at the Church on the Move building. The program was started by the late Jim Sinclair, who had been the church pastor for more than 20 years. Plains is one of four food banks in the county. Noxon, Hot Springs and Thompson Falls also have food banks. Alde believes the Hot Springs food bank is also having difficulties, too, because he has been visited by some Hot Springs residents.

The Plains Community Food Bank serves 555 clients, including 22 people that are considered homeless, according to Alde. The clients range from single people to families of nine and they range from 18 years old to folks in their 80s. Alde said they get new families using the food bank every month. Last year, they bought 11 slow cookers for the homeless families. "Without this food bank, I don't know how people are going to make it," said Alde. Davis said it's a wonderful program to help families going through a difficult time get back on their feet. "If we close our doors, we want it to be because the people no longer need help with food, not because we lack the funds to fulfill our mission," said Davis, who's been with the food bank for three years.

The food bank is open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., but they have opened at other times for emergencies. The bank is run by several volunteers from four different local churches.

The food bank has a good stock of some items, such as rice and beans, but are short on the more popular needs, like meat, macaroni and cheese, canned meals, soups and pasta, which they've had to cut back on how much they give out. They've run out of canned fruit. He said they've had to open some of the bulk items and put them in smaller plastic bags in order to make things last.

Alde said local stores could help by donating meats and poultry that are no longer "fresh." The food bank would gladly take grocery store items that are past their sell-by-date or damaged canned or boxed goods. "Whenever these different entities had too much they would call me and I'd go pick it up. This source has dried up for us," he said. The food bank also welcomes game meat.

Alde said many people lately haven't been able to donate. He said he prays about it on a daily basis and has held weekly group prayer in an effort to tackle the problem. "This is the poorest county in Montana," said Alde. "I just want to make everyone aware that there's a real need for this in our area." Anyone who would like to donate food or money can contact Bill Alde at (406) 303-1177.

"It would be a terrible disservice to our community if the Plains Community Food Bank had to close its doors," said Davis. "My own family has used the services of a food bank when we couldn't afford food. I don't know where we would be if that service hadn't been available."