Area food pantries seek volunteers
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LAKE COUNTY — As new residents move into Lake County, food banks throughout are requesting new volunteers to help with their operations.
The food bank in St. Ignatius has a population of volunteers that is beginning to age, and as a result have less availability to help. “Most of us are in our mid-70s. We’ve been doing this for a while,” said Heidi Riddle of the Mission Valley Food Bank. With new neighbors moving in more often, she’s hoping to see some new faces ready to help.
Open every Tuesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., except the last Friday of the month which they swap for a Saturday, the food bank relies heavily on volunteers to serve the population. “Basically, people can choose their hours,” Riddle explained. “We try to have people come in maybe once or twice a month to work.”
Every six to eight weeks, the food bank receives a delivery of food from the Montana Food Bank Network, including many heavy items. “We really need people to help with our deliveries,” Riddle said. “But mostly we need people to help hand out food.”
Serving Arlee, St. Ignatius, and Ravalli communities, the Mission Valley Food bank is presently using a boxed system to distribute food to families in need. Based on the size of the family, the boxes are pre-made by volunteers. When families arrive to pick up their food, they check in at the food bank’s window, and then the boxes are brought to a table outside for families to take.
“We’re looking at maybe changing that,” Riddle commented. The food bank used to have people come inside to choose their food but turned to the boxed alternative due to Covid. It’s still under discussion when they will return to the original model.
The Arlee Food Resource Center, open Fridays from 1 to 3 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., is still able to operate under the self-selecting model due to the size of their facility. Three people at a time are allowed to shop for their families, and they have a waiting area for three people as well. All volunteers and shoppers are asked to wear masks.
“Volunteers are used for pretty much everything in the pantry,” said Arlee CDC Executive Director Marie Hirsch. Volunteers might be greeters, stock the shelves of the pantry, or break down large quantities of food such as a 50-pound bag of flour into family distribution sizes.
To volunteer with the Arlee Food Resource Center, people are encouraged to call 406-726-5550 or email info@arleecdc.org.
The Mission Valley Food Bank encourages volunteers to show up on days the food bank is open to see what is being done that day, and if they would be comfortable helping. Otherwise, they can call Riddle at 406-745-0057 to volunteer.
Other food banks in the county include:
- The Ronan Bread Basket, open Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Bread Basket needs volunteers to help distribute food to families during their hours of operation and unload the delivery truck once per month. To volunteer, contact Kristine at 406-676-0790, or Celie at 406-253-9900.
- The Ronan High School Pantry, open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 4 p.m. They can be reached at 406-676-3390.
- The Polson Loaves and Fish Pantry, open Tuesdays from 2 to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Polson Loaves and Fish can be reached at 406-883-6864, or by email at polsonpantry@polson.net.
“The volunteers are an important part of the work we do in the community,” Hirsch said. “They’re key to the success of the Food Resource Center.”
“I like being able to help people… but a lot of food banks are in the same kind of boat,” Riddle said. “We’re all getting older, and at some point somebody younger is going to have to take over.”
