Havre Food Bank collects donations through Cruise for a Cause

Classic cars moved in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting health care workers and emergency responders on the front lines and helping out with extra food.

North Central Montana Hot Rods held a cruise in the Havre area Friday evening and the Havre Food Bank set up a station at Rod's Drive-In, one of the stops on the cruise, to take donations from people participating in the event.

Havre Food Bank Manager Samantha Nimmick said Steve Neiffer, owner of Old Station Brewery, and a member of the Hot Rod group gave the food bank a call and suggested they set up they set up at one of the stops.

"We've never done anything like this, so I'm really excited to see how it turns out," she said Friday.

Neiffer said he came up with the idea because he wanted to get out and do something amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and invited the food bank to set up shop while he and his fellow car enthusiasts got back on the road.

"People need to do something to get out, people are getting stir crazy, and I'm a car guy so let's cruise," he said.

Neiffer said he was impressed by the number of people who showed up to get their "car fix."

"I think it will be a good night... there's more hotrods sitting here right now probably than has been for a long time," Neiffer said.

The cruise would end in front of North Montana Hospital with the participants cheering and howling for the health care workers there.

Nimmick, who set up shop on the edge of the crowd of cars, said demand for food has risen amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We've had an increase in clientele with the job loss," she said.

She said the food bank's biggest need is for shelf-stable items. Things like soups, tuna, mac and cheese and peanut butter.

"Things that make it easier for people to feed their kids, and that will last them a while," she said.

However, Nimmick said things at the food bank are stable even with the increase in demand.

"The stores' donations have been a little bit bigger than what we're used too, so we've been able to meet that need which is wonderful," she said.

Nimmick also said there has been an increase in individual donation to the food bank.

She said just that day a man called the food bank to ask what kind of items they were looking for, then went to Walmart and spent $300 on items for them.

Nimmick said this wasn't the only instance of people going far out of their way to help the food bank.

"Actually, I had a couple people who tracked me down outside my house (to donate food) before I made it here," she said.

Nimmick also said the food bank has received and influx of donations from local Hutterite colonies.

By 5:30 p.m., the official beginning of the cruise, the table the food bank had set up had already accumulated a pile of food.

"People are excited to be able to donate," she said.

Nimmick and Neiffer said there is a strong possibility that this set will happen again sometime in the near future, and Nimmick said she was excited by the prospect.

"I think this would be awesome to do again," she said.

Nimmick said work at the food bank had become a bit more difficult since the pandemic now that only three people can be in the building at a time.

"We've actually all put in more hours than we're used to just trying to make sure that everyone's needs are met," she said.

She said she was grateful for everyone's patience while her team does their best to operate in the midst of the pandemic, and that events like this are still a pleasure to put on.

"We're a good team, it's always fun to be able to get out and do these kinds of things," Nimmick said.

She said she was already impressed by how much food they managed to accumulate and that she thought it would only get better as the night went on.

"I'm really excited, I'm really impressed, and I'm feeling pretty positive about it. I think it will end up being a good night," she said.

Havre Community Food Bank received more than 900 pounds of shelf-stable food, along with more than $600 in monetary donations by the end of the night.

"We are so thankful to  Steve  Neiffer and the North Central Montana Hot Rods for hosting this event for health care workers and the Food Bank," Nimmick said this morning. "We would also like to thank the Hill County Community for their continued support and generous donations, especially during such uncertain times. I believe this event was an excellent way to spotlight the giving and caring community we are all blessed to be a part of."