GVFB NEWS

 LOCAL SUPPORT FOR LOCAL FAMILIES 

February 2023

Note from Jill

Dear Friend, 

February seems to be racing to March and the one thing we all know is the weather is unpredictable and the need in our community is constant.  It seems like a good time for reflection.  Once upon a time our food bank really struggled to reach folks who did not speak English as their primary language.  Outreach efforts in the summer of 2021 helped us develop a relationship of trust with our Spanish speaking neighbors.  In July of 2022, 12% of our customers reported Spanish as their primary language.  In November of 2022, 17% percent of our customers reported Spanish as their primary language.  We are proud that our service navigator Nicole Stock speaks Spanish and makes a welcoming environment for all people entering the food bank.  A special thanks to four of our intake volunteers Pam, Anne, CD and Penelope who also speak Spanish.   It makes such a difference in the ability to serve our customers in a dignified manner.

On the topic of Outreach you might have noticed that Chloe Loeffelholz has taken the lead for almost two years.  She has led as co-chair for Huffing For Stuffing, generated newsletters, annual reports, and materials promoting our food and nutrition programs.  She is the social media master and makes us smile while also informing the world of our good work.  It is with this newsletter that she will sign off and move to the Traveling School.  We are grateful for how hard she has worked to get the word out about our services, fundraising, volunteering and all opportunities that include HRDC Food & Nutrition.  She will be deeply missed.  Join us on Monday night Feb. 27th at Bridger Brewing from 5-8 pm for a farewell event benefiting our Fork & Spoon.  She is contributing to the very end of her time with us!!!

Jill Holder, HRDC Food & Nutrition Director

Black History Month and Food Access

Black History Month is celebrated in February and recognizes the important contributions that African Americans have made to help shape our country. It is also a time for critical reflection to examine our collective history and to look toward our continued future.

Our work, to strengthen food security in Southwest Montana, has sustained intersections with the historical and current experience of Black Communities across the United States. According to Feeding America, "Discriminatory policies and practices have led Black people to be more likely to live in poverty. They have fewer financial resources like savings or property than their white counterparts. All of these factors increase someone's likelihood of experiencing hunger." According to the USDA in 2021: "Nearly 20% of Black individuals lived in a food insecure household. In addition, Black people are almost three times as likely to face hunger as white individuals."

Program Highlight

Healthy KidsPack - Childhood Nutrition School Year Initiatives

Our Healthy KidsPack and KidsPantry programs empower students with nutritional resources during the school year. One in eight elementary students face hunger in the Gallatin Valley. Our goal is to ensure that all kids have access to nutritious food and arrive at school fed and ready to learn each day. 

Our Healthy KidsPack Program is a weekly supplemental bag of groceries that provides healthy foods to children across Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson counties. Nutritionally balanced, kid-friendly foods are packed and distributed to local school children every Friday during the school year. Our KidsPantry Program provides in-school and weekend food access to students in Middle and High School. Operating as a pantry, students have the privacy and autonomy to choose items that best suit their needs.

September - December 2022 we distributed a total of 6,256 bags of nutritionally balanced, kid-friendly foods. This is a 2,242 increase from the same three month period the year before. During the same time period we distributed an average of 508 bags per week.

Bozeman Schools Foundation's annual Pack the Sack fundraiser raises vital funds for our KidsPack program. This event is especially important this year due to the rising cost of food. A donation of $6.50 provides a local student with 5 healthy meals and snacks for the weekend in a Kidspack bag.

PEOPLE OF GVFB 

Our Future

Pictured above is a recent photo that captures our progress at Community Commons. The customer-oriented portion of Market Place is the dark grey structure in the center of the image. The warehouse is the connected white building in the background. Also pictured is our future outdoor patio on the ground floor in the forefront of the image.

The video below takes you to an insider's view of the new building including a peak at our future store and warehouse. 

Upcoming Events

Mondays in February from 5-8 pm: Pints with Purpose at Bridger Brewing benefitting Fork & Spoon

March 25th: 12th annual Carve out Hunger with Bridger Bowl. Donate 15 cans at Bridger Bowl to GVFB for a discounted lift ticket and season pass raffle entry. 

Save the Date! Saturday, April 8th: Spring For Food Drive. With the help of community partners and volunteers, we will be out in the community at grocery stores around Bozeman and Belgrade collecting food donations. Stay tuned for more information of how to volunteer and donate during a time of year where food donations are less frequent. 

HRDC Highlight

Gallatin Valley Food Bank is a program run by HRDC. HRDC is a nonprofit Community Action Agency serving Southwest Montana. HRDC has over forty programs across various service areas, including Streamline Gallatin Valley's zero-fare bus system.

The Gallatin County Commission recently approved sending Streamline transportation district question to votes. Voters will get to decide whether to create an urban transportation district for the Streamline bus service. 

The Gallatin County Commission unanimously approved calling for an election for the creation of an urban transportation district for the bus service. 

HRDC’s Streamline launched with a mission to provide mobility services and alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles in southwest Montana. This mission is increasingly more important as our community grows.

Our Streamline service helps meet the needs of our increasing population in a number of ways, benefiting not just riders, but everyone living in the Gallatin Valley. 

Read News Article in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Watch News Story on NBC Montana