Community responds with help for Plains food bank

Thanks to a recent plea for help, the Plains Community Food Bank received enough food and cash donations to sustain them for another couple of months.

Though the nonprofit organization is still extremely short on meat, donations from within and outside Sanders County has given them the needed boost to help them help families in need, said Bill Alde, who heads the food bank in Plains. Donations started coming in just over a week ago after Alde asked for help through the Sanders County Ledger newspaper, and although the food bank is still critical in the meat department, help is on the horizon. Studs Building and Home of Plains is giving the food bank a whole beef, which could be anywhere from 600-800 pounds, but Alde said it would be a couple of weeks until he gets it. A place in Polson has offered a load of beef at cost. 

"Our shelves were empty, so this is a real blessing," said Kathy Wilson, a volunteer at the food bank for the last four years. The Plains Community Food Bank is located in a space at the Assembly of God Church on the Move building on the corner of Central Avenue and Garber Street, but it is a community entity started by the former church pastor, the late Jim Sinclair. 

Alde said the food bank has been critically short on food, particularly meat, for the past few months. The food bank feeds more than 200 people every month and has over 550 clients. Alde's sources for food donations started slowing in April and by June, almost nothing was coming in. Alde estimates that the food bank helps 15% to 20% of the county population. 

Alde started getting new boxes of food donations a week ago, including 1,790 pounds of food - 68 boxes - from Little Bitterroot Services Corner Grocery in Plains. "That's pretty awesome. That really fills a void for a couple of months," said Alde, who has managed the food bank for five years. Quinn's Hot Springs Resort pledged $2,000 to the food bank on Tuesday. The NAPA store in Thompson Falls donated $500 and the Plains Alliance Church donated $496.

On Thursday, the food bank gets a shipment of 1,875 pounds from the Montana Food Bank, its primary food source. He said they've lately received pledges of help from Blackfoot Telecommunications in Missoula, the First Security Bank in Thompson Falls, and the Avista Corporation. The Hopa Mountain nonprofit organization in Bozeman has been helping Alde with logistics in obtaining additional sources. One of the food bank's biggest fundraiser comes from the Town Pump's "Be a Friend in Deed, Help Those in Need" in October and November, according to Cheryl Davis, the food bank's administrator.

Alde and his crew of volunteers has had to go in early to weigh and sort the new food donations. "I see it coming in and do cartwheels down the hall," said Doug Collier, a volunteer for the last four years.

The food bank is open 10 a.m. t 1 p.m. Tuesdays, but they have opened at other times for emergencies. The bank is run by several volunteers from four different local churches. Anyone who would like to donate food or money can contact Alde at (406) 303-1177.