Local organizations awarded grants from Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation

The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation has selected 100 food banks, food pantries, rescue missions, homeless shelters and Salvation Army organizations across Montana to receive a combined $350,000 in additional grant funds to aid them in helping Montana’s most vulnerable citizens during the holiday season.

Among the grant winners is Hot Springs Food Pantry, Community Services Fellowship Inc. in Noxon, Community Food Bank Of Mineral County in Superior, and Community Harvest Inc. Food Bank in Thompson Falls.

The Foundation’s Holiday Giving Program is in addition to other grants that are awarded annually to these basic needs organizations and is intended to provide the resources they need to ensure that individuals and families have nutritious food during the holiday season.

“Virtually all basic needs organizations continue to struggle to meet the growing demand for their services, and these additional funds will hopefully help address shortages of food, shelter, clothing and other basic needs,” Foundation Executive Director Mike Halligan said. “Our goal with this donation is to get badly needed resources into the hands of the staff and volunteers of these critically important organizations, especially now with the winter months approaching.”

In Montana, 1 in 10 people struggle with hunger and 1 in 6 Montana children live in homes that face food insecurity, putting them at risk of hunger. Good nutrition, particularly in the early years of life, is important for establishing a solid foundation that affects a child’s future physical and mental health, academic achievement, and economic productivity.