Hi-Line Living: Food Bank helps people through the holidays

Some households this year will spend the holiday season worrying more about having food in their cabinets than gifts under their Christmas trees, but the Havre Food Bank tries to help out with that.

The Havre Food Bank is run by District 4 HRDC and serves families throughout Hill County who are in need of food assistance.

Lorna Bjerga, manager of the food bank for the past five years, said that an average of 160 households a month use its services.

She said that between November and April, especially around the holidays, is when demand is the highest.

  The uptick in demand is at least in part because there is usually a rise in the number of people who get laid off from their jobs in winter, she said.  

"They need that little bit of extra help because they can't cover everything," Bjerga said.

To receive assistance from the food bank, households must not be more than 150 percent above the federal poverty level, be facing some kind of financial hardship and be a resident of Hill County.

Bjerga said households seeking assistance must fill out an application, available at the food bank. They should present a current photo ID, birth certificates or Social Security card for every member of their household and proof of address in the form of a piece of recent mail such as a utility bill.

Proof of income should also be made available.

Those eligible for assistance will receive a box every two months with a fixed amount of nonperishable food items and ingredients to make certain meals.

People can also come in for perishable items such as dairy, bread and fresh vegetables once a week.

Special holiday food baskets are also prepared by the food bank and given out to eligible households.

Bjerga said that this year, each basket will contain turkey or ham, potatoes, onions, a canned vegetable, butter and dinners rolls, and canned cranberries. Baskets will also have mixes for stuffing, gravy and brownies, as well as ingredients for a green bean casserole and a pumpkin pie.

There are times when the food bank struggles, but, she said, this year the public has been generous with donations of food and money, she said.

"Our town has been just wonderful this year," Bjerga said.

During the holiday season Gary & Leo's Fresh Foods holds its hometown hunger drive for the food bank. For $25 in donation the store will donate a bag of groceries to the food bank, she said.

For $40 a donated bag will include meat.

This November, the Havre Fire Department held its annual Everybody Loves Firefighters, or ELF, food drive, during which firefighters accompanied by volunteers go door-to-door to collect food donations. The food is then taken to Van Orsdel United Methodist Church and sorted before being transported to the food bank.

A similar effort is undertaken in the spring with the Stamp Out Hunger campaign, for which Havre households can leave nonperishable food items in their mailboxes. Those items are then picked up by mail carriers and taken to the food bank.

Bjerga said the food bank receives rescue food twice a week from Gary & Leo's and three times a week from Walmart.

She said rescue food includes dented cans and slightly damaged packages.

The food bank relies on donations and grants for its upkeep, and is always in need of money, Bjerga said.  

The food bank was one of 79 throughout Montana this year that received money from the Town Pump Charitable Foundation's  annual "Be a friend in deed helping those in need" campaign, which started in early September and concluded in late November.

Bjerga said that this year, the foundation matched the first $7,500 donated.

The money is used to purchase food, pay utility bills and tend to the upkeep of the Food Bank.

Bjerga said that this year they surpassed the $7,500 mark.

For the second year, The Key at the Holiday Village Mall is raising money for the food bank by selling a total of 100 handmade Montana-themed Christmas ornaments for $15 each, Bjerga said.

Monetary donations can also be made to the food bank.

Bjerga said the food bank is hoping to get a new walk-in freezer.

She said multiple parts of the current walk-in freezer have had to be replaced in recent years, and she often has trouble finding space for items, especially during the holidays when there is a major influx of frozen items.

Bjerga said she is hoping, if they get a new freezer, they will be able to raise funds to repair the current one and have two freezers.

The food bank was notified in November that they didn't get a grant that would have helped buy a new freezer.

Bjerga said that she is exploring other grant options and is continuing with fundraising efforts.

Donations of food or money can be made either at HRDC or the Havre Food Bank.