MISSOULA - A Friday morning at the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center is go, go, go. Cars line the sidewalk, customers race inside for their weekly grocery haul, and volunteers hustle from one task to the next.
“We’re busier than we’ve ever been,” confirmed interim co-executive director Jess Allred.
The Food Bank can always use donations, but if you’ve seen the news lately, you know that inflation is bending budgets and clashing with just about every facet of life.
“We are seeing a lot of families coming through our doors who are experiencing what we're all experiencing, right? Higher costs at the grocery store, increased fuel costs, so many families continue to be challenged by this ongoing housing crisis,” said Allred.
Five years ago, the Food Bank served one-in-six people in Missoula County. Today, they’re serving one-in-four. According to Allred, “the only reason that we are able to be nimble and keep up with this is because of this community. It's donations of food, it's donations of funds, it's volunteerism.”
That’s where you come in. Postal carriers will be collecting non-perishable foods from doorsteps throughout Missoula on Saturday, May 14. Simply leave canned & shelf-stable goods for your carrier Saturday morning or return remit envelopes to the Missoula Food Bank & Community Center at 1720 Wyoming Street.
Led by the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 701, the Stamp Out Hunger event will alleviate some of the stress the Missoula Food Bank has experienced in recent months. You can support the effort without ever leaving your home.
