Free food programs provide meals to kids across Montana

Millions of Americans go hungry every year, including 13 million children, and Montana is no exception. 

According to the Montana Food Bank Network, one in 12 adults in the state and 28,400 kids experience food insecurity, defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the lack of access to enough food at all times for a healthy life.

This summer, three organizations in Montana partnered to feed kids in need. Action Inc., the Montana Food Bank Network, and No Kid Hungry set up 17 sites throughout Butte-Silver Bow, one in Deer Lodge, and another in Whitehall where families could pick up enough meals for several days.

It’s a new strategy and a departure from the past when kids would have to be at a group site such as a recreation center or a school to receive meals and would have to eat them there. 

“This is a game changer for folks that just can’t get to a meal every day for a number of reasons,” Brianna Guerrero, a state campaign manager for Share Our Strength, the nonprofit that runs the No Kid Hungry program, told the Montana Independent.  “And in rural areas, it’s just a lot of work to get to and from a location to eat daily. So it’s opened up a lot of doors for rural communities that qualify.”  

About 44% of Montana’s population lives in rural areas, according to the 2020 federal census. 

In addition to summer food sites where families can pick up prepared meals or bulk groceries, in November 2023 the state opted into a federal summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program. The program will provide $120 to every eligible school-age child who participates in their school’s free breakfast and lunch program. The money can be used at grocery stores. 

Samantha Dennison, the Montana Food Bank Network’s child nutrition manager, explained that the money will be distributed in September and October this year.

Dennison said that the EBT money comes in addition to funding through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid.

“We’re looking at 65,000 children who will benefit from this program in Montana alone,” Dennison said. 

In 2022, 30.1 million public school students across the United States received free or reduced-price lunches, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Montana Food Bank Network is the only statewide food bank in Montana. Dennison says that despite the work of its 380 partners in every corner of the state, community need for food is skyrocketing. She cites continuing supply chain issues, food and shipping costs, and inflation as some of the factors behind food insecurity.

“All of those paint a very hungry picture,” Dennison said. 

She explained that although the COVID-19 pandemic taught people what was needed to get food to people using group site programs, federal resources have since been pulled back, and food insecurity has risen in the state. According to Feeding America, one in six children is currently facing food insecurity in Montana, up from one in eight in 2023. 

“We’re really excited to get the word out to families that if you receive this card, use it,” Dennison said. “That is something that you are eligible for. And, again, that’s another economic driver as well, because then they go spend that money at grocery stores and things like that. So I think that’s, at least so far, the biggest win for us is just being on the front lines of making sure that these new programs are successful.”