The Missoula Food Bank serves a remarkable 25,000 individuals annually, which equates to 1 in 5 families in Missoula, making it a vital resource in our community. Its doors are open to everyone, regardless of age, ensuring that even children whose nutritional needs are met during school hours aren't left hungry over weekends or during summer breaks. This year, the focus of Missoula Gives is to raise funds to create approximately 6,400 Empower Packs for vulnerable kids to access during the summer, a project that will see volunteers come together during the Missoula Gives event to pack these "kits".
But the Food Bank's impact stretches far beyond this initiative. For 40 years, the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center has been a cornerstone of support for the greater Missoula community. The move to their Wyoming Street location in 2017 consolidated their operations, offering an expanded waiting room and store and brought their warehouse on-site. Additionally, the new space now features free cooking classes in their learning kitchen and houses EmPower Place, a multifunctional family learning center that is part community hub, part science museum and part library. Collaborating with Partnership Health Center, the Food Bank also now provides satellite services for primary care, dental hygiene, and behavioral health, including telehealth consultations.
There are no eligibility criteria to access the food bank's resources. Operating hours are from 10 am to 7 pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from 10 am to 1 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays, and closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and most holidays. To discover more about the services offered by the Missoula Food Bank or to contribute as a donor or volunteer, you can visit their website at https://missoulafoodbank.org/.
