Town Pump raising $3 million for food banks statewide
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MONTANA — Now in its 15th year, the Town Pump Charitable Foundation hopes to raise over $3 million in its annual fundraising campaign for food banks across Montana, including the Loaves and Fish Food Pantry in Polson, the Bread Basket Food Pantry in Ronan, and Mission Valley Food Pantry in St. Ignatius.
A record 79 food banks are participating in the statewide “Be A Friend in Deed, Helping Those in Need” campaign this year. The campaign has raised over $23 million for food banks statewide in 14 years, including about $4 million in matching grants from the Town Pump Charitable Foundation. As part of this year’s campaign, the Town Pump Charitable Foundation will match up to $500,000 in contributions to participating Montana food banks made now through Nov. 30, 2016.
Locally, the Foundation will match up to $8,000 on behalf of Loaves and Fish Food Pantry in Polson, $5,000 on behalf of the Bread Basket Food Pantry in Ronan, and $1,000 on behalf of Mission Valley Food Pantry in St. Ignatius.
The money is often used to purchase perishable food items such as milk, bread, fruit and vegetables. Also, the funds are becoming more crucial in helping many food bank organizations simply stay open through payment of rent, utilities, and space for storage, refrigeration and freezing.
The Town Pump fundraiser and its matching grant “is the greatest thing going for food pantries,” said Brian River of Polson’s Loaves and Fish Food Pantry.
He said the campaign is vital in helping to raise the $25,000 the pantry spends on food each year. The pantry feeds about 300 families a month, he said, with another 250 families or so taking advantage of the pantry’s “bread-and-milk room.” The pantry, he added, provides about 300,000 pounds of food a year to the area’s hungry.
“The Board and volunteers of the Bread Basket are very thankful for the generous matching donation that Town Pump has provided for the last 15 years,” said Judy Preston, chairperson of the Bread Basket Food Pantry in Ronan. “We count on the match to encourage local donations to help us continue providing food to needy families. Thank you again, Town Pump.”
The Mission Valley Food Pantry in St. Ignatius depends on the Town Pump fundraiser to make up for a loss in other funding, said Heidi Riddle of the Mission Valley Food Pantry.
“One of the problems for us this year is that Congress has not funded the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which was a major source of funding for us. We still have the same number of families using our food bank, and food seems to be getting more expensive,” she said.
The Town Pump Charitable Foundation has been assisting the state’s food banks with their vital service since 2002.
“Thank you to our food bank partners across the state and to everyone who has made the ‘Be A Friend in Deed, Help Those in Need’ campaign such a great success over the years,” said Maureen Kenneally of the Town Pump Charitable Foundation. “The inspiring effort by so many is making a real difference in the lives or our hungry neighbors.”
Donations for the campaign are being collected at the local Town Pumps. Donations can also be sent directly to Loaves and Fish Food Pantry in Polson, 904 First Street East, 59860, the Bread Basket Food Pantry in Ronan at 10 6th Ave. SW, 59864, and to the Mission Valley Food Pantry, P.O. Box 644, St. Ignatius, 59865.
