Food Drive: Don’t let little goblins go hungry this fall

The North Valley Food Bank (NVFB) sends its ghostly greetings as they gear up for the “Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat” food drive. The food bank states that 24% of its customers are children. Not only that, but the food bank is experiencing a 68% increase in overall pantry visits and has served more than 500 first-time families in 2022.

The third annual Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat food drive will benefit hungry and undernourished kids and teens in northwestern Montana. The community event will begin on Saturday, Oct. 15, and culminate on Halloween, Oct. 31. During this time, NVFB will be collecting kid-friendly, non-perishable items onsite and at schools, local businesses and grocery stores.

Recommended items include canned tuna, macaroni and cheese, applesauce cups, cereal, oatmeal, nuts, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, fruit cups, popcorn, fruit snacks, soups, goldfish crackers, trail mix, granola bars, jerky, toothbrushes, toothpaste and children’s vitamins. NVFB is seeking to balance the tradition of candy by providing healthy, nourishing foods and requests no donated sweets.

To locate the donation bins, look for the “bat signal” — the black and orange posters with the NVFB logo and bat picture — in the windows of participating businesses and grocery stores.

This year the food drive, with its focus on children, is especially meaningful to NVFB’s Executive Director Sophie Albert who herself is a new mother.

“We are experiencing a dramatic rise in the number of families coming to the food bank and are serving the highest numbers in our 45-year history. In September, the total number of NVFB visits reached 1,635,” Albert said. “In addition, we usually see a 25% increase in demand for food during the holiday months. Add to this the inflated cost of living and you have a perfect storm for food insecurity. That’s why North Valley Food Bank is deeply committed to reaching kids and other vulnerable members of the northern Flathead this winter.”

Along with food donations, North Valley Food Bank is seeking volunteers to hand out fliers, collect food donations, and sort them. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Anya Brown at anya@northvalleyfoodbank.org.

North Valley Food Bank is located at 251 Flathead Avenue in Whitefish. More information about the food drive and the participating businesses can be found at northvalleyfoodbank.org or on Facebook and Instagram.

For more information, please contact Elizabeth Temple, Director of Development, elizabeth@northvalleyfoodbank.org or 406-862-5863, ext. 1002.