June's Way: Street renamed to honor food bank founder

A street leading to the North Valley Food Bank will soon be renamed to honor the food bank’s founder who died earlier this year.

A section of West 15th Street will be renamed June’s Way in remembrance of June Munski-Feenan who began the food bank out of her garage in 1977. Munski-Feenan remained the director of the organization until her death in January.

SueAnn Grogan-King, food bank director, requested the city make the change.

“It was the food bank board’s idea as a way to honor her,” Grogan-King said. “Anytime we can honor someone who stands up for others, it’s great.”

The food bank faces the section of the street that will be renamed between Baker Avenue and Flathead Avenue. Whitefish City Council earlier in the month directed city staff to prepare a resolution to make the name change official.

“There are few individuals who commit their entire life to helping others that are less fortunate — June was one of them,” Mayor John Muhlfeld said. “Her philanthropy began over 40 years ago when she opened the food bank in her own home, using a snow bank outside her kitchen to store jugs of milk.”

Muhlfeld said by dedicating 15th Street to June’s Way, council hopes that her work will be forever memorialized and remembered in the community.

Munski-Feenan served as volunteer director of the organization for about 40 years. Today, the food bank lends a hand to roughly 7,000 families a year and late last year moved out of the 80-year-old house on First Street and into a new facility off Baker Avenue.

The food bank address will still remain the same, however, at 251 Flathead Ave.