Community

Actions

AmeriCorps volunteers kick off 5th “Kids Pack Food Drive”

Posted at 1:02 PM, Mar 07, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-07 14:04:24-05
AmeriCorps Food Drive
Donations will provide after school and weekend food to more than 1,000 students at 17 different schools in Montana. (MTN News photo)

HELENA – One in five kids throughout the state of Montana face hunger challenges.

In an effort to help put an end to the problem, AmeriCorps volunteers kicked off the 5th annual Helena Food Share “Kids Pack Food Drive” Wednesday at the Carroll College Student Center.

Over 300 AmeriCorps State and Vista Members from across Montana collected food for the Food Drive. Members began the event with a message from Montana First Lady, Lisa Bullock.

Volunteers made their way from campus to various grocery stores. Donations will provide after school and weekend food to more than 1,000 students at 17 different schools in Montana.

The annual doorstep-to-kid-packs event is the largest food drive in Helena.

Director of Governors Office of Community Services, Dan Ritter, stated

“Food insecurities and alleviating childhood hunger is a really important issue for Governor and First Lady Bullock, so as a priority with our office — connected with the Governor’s office — we feel our that it’s a really important that we do our part and this is a great way to have a large collective impact with our AmeriCorps members that are serving in Montana,” Governors Office of Community Services Director Dan Ritter said.

Members of Helena Food share collected more than 10,000 pounds of food for kids’ packs last year.

The packs are filled with foods like low-sugar granola bars, fruit cups, oatmeal and other various nutritious, non-perishable food items.

Click here for more information on how to help with the food drive.

Helena Food Share did release a statement, stating that due to weather, they were unable to visit every house.


The statement is below:

AmeriCorps members and other volunteers did their very best to reach every house in the Helena and East Helena city limits today for Helena Food Share’s Doorsteps to Kid Packs Food Drive. Despite everyone’s best efforts, you may still have food on your porch. If that is the case, we ask that you bring the food to Helena Food Share at 1616 Lewis Street tomorrow between 8:00 am and 4:00pm If that is not a possibility for you, please call Helena Food Share tomorrow (03/07) after 8:00 am and we’ll schedule a pick up. Ph. 406-443-3663.

We have very limited resources so any help you can provide in bringing food to us will be a huge help.

We truly appreciate your donation and thank you for helping feed area kids.

Thank you for your understanding as we take on the unseasonable weather.

-Christine Sullivan reporting for MTN News