Missoula Food Bank seeks volunteers, ups food purchases | Local News

Missoula Food Bank & Community Center Executive Director Aaron Brock said they’ve remained busy throughout the pandemic, though he said they are not substantially busier than they were a year ago. In September, Brock said the Food Bank served about 3,800 households comprised of roughly 10,000 separate individuals.

However, he said the future has “never been harder to predict” with the pandemic. The Food Bank saw its biggest spike in customers in March to April, Brock said, and he credits the stable customer base in the months following in part to the federal response to the pandemic.

“I think that the stimulus money helps,” Brock said. “I think that increased unemployment helps. Certainly increased SNAP benefits have been helpful.”

However, the Food Bank is still and is always in need of community support, especially with fewer food drives to funnel donations to the organization. 

Brock said the Food Bank is “purchasing a higher percentage of our food than we ever have” due to decreased food drives, which tend to take place in congregational settings such as businesses, churches or events.

In September, the Food Bank spent about $50,000 more than it budgeted on food with revenue from donations, Brock said.

“Our ability to purchase food moving into the future continues to be reliant on a generous community that steps up and makes sure that everyone has enough to eat,” Brock said. “We are grateful for the support that we’ve received, and we are constantly out asking. The donations that are coming in today’s mail will literally help us buy food tomorrow, next week, next month. It doesn’t sit here very long.”