Town Pump fundraiser underway to support food banks

Mineral Independent

With demand for food bank services surging in Montana during the pandemic, the Town Pump Charitable Foundation is matching $750,000 in contributions during its 19th annual fundraising campaign for food banks across Montana, including Community Food Pantry and Community Food Bank of Mineral County in Superior.

A record-setting 93 food banks are participating in the statewide “Be A Friend in Deed, Helping Those in Need” campaign this year.

The campaign has raised over $36 million for Montana food banks in 18 years, including about $7 million in matching grants from the Town Pump Charitable Foundation. Organizers of the campaign, which runs through Nov. 30, hope to raise $4 million for the food banks this year.

Locally, the Foundation is matching up to $7,500 each for Community Food Pantry in Plains and Community Food Bank of Mineral County in Superior.

The money is frequently used to purchase perishable food items such as milk, bread, fruit and vegetables. Also, the funds are becoming more crucial in helping many food bank organizations simply stay open through payment of rent, utilities, and space for storage, refrigeration and

freezing.

“Since early spring, in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, we have experienced a nearly 30% increase in clients over 2019,” said Bill Alde, representing Community Food Pantry in Plains. “Most people comment on how they are ‘not able to get food’ or ‘not able to afford what they used to buy.’”

“The Town Pump fundraising campaign allows us to buy food that the families in our communities simply aren’t able to afford during the pandemic, something that we wouldn’t be able to do without the annual Town Pump campaign,” he said.

“Unfortunately, more and more Montana families don’t have enough to eat,” said Bill McGladdery, of the Town Pump Charitable Foundation. “Please join Town Pump and our

dedicated food bank partners in making a difference in the lives of our hungry neighbors by donating today at our businesses or directly to the food banks.”

Donations can be made at local Town Pumps and Lucky Lil’s, or they can be made directly to the food banks at Community Food Pantry, P.O. Box 767, Plains, MT 59859, or Community Food Bank of Mineral County, P.O. Box 177, Superior, MT 59872.