Archived Story

Eats and treats: Students help meet the needs of hungry neighbors with Missoula Food Bank's annual Halloween food-raiser
By CHRIS ARNESON for the Missoulian

Washington Middle School students Molly Miller, Kayla Echeverry Laursen, Chrissy Godbout and Tanya Bradley, from right, went door-to-door in their school's neighborhood Friday afternoon collecting food for the Missoula Food Bank. The food collection is part of the Food Bank's annual “Trick-or-Eat” food drive.
Photo by MICHAEL GALLACHER/Missoulian
Some Missoula residents opened their doors Friday night to find trick-or-treaters wanting more than a bite-sized candy bar. As part of the Missoula Food Bank's “Trick-or-Eat” food drive, these ghosts and goblins collected canned and nonperishable food - by the ton.

“We depend on this period of the year critically for donations from the public,” said Nick Roberts, Missoula Food Bank development director. “Given that we're serving more people, we are absolutely dependent on free food.”

Higher heating bills and unemployment are driving more people to the Missoula Food Bank every day, Roberts said. Last month, the Food Bank served a record 5,200 clients.

But the hordes of costumed students and the thousands of pounds of food they expect to collect should help - 4,600 pounds and counting at press time. The food bank expects about 7,000 pounds total. That's enough to fill the beds of seven pickup trucks, and should be enough to stock the Food Bank's shelves for the next few weeks.

“This is kind of a Band-Aid between now and when we get food in the holiday drive,” Roberts said.

Students from the University of Montana and elementary and middle-school Flagship programs across Missoula were on hand to collect the food, and more volunteers were waiting at the Food Bank to help unload and weigh it.

“They really are the absolute, crucial piece of this,” Roberts said. “We wouldn't have the time or staff to really spend planning an event of this scale.”

Hundreds of volunteers were spread out across the city, and residents were ready with cans of food for them. Fliers were sent out earlier this week, telling residents about the event. Many had boxes of cans loaded up for the costumed volunteers to collect. Cars followed behind the volunteers, picking up the food and delivering it to the Food Bank.

Jennifer Ternes, student coordinator for UM's Davidson Honors College, has helped organize the food drive for two of its seven years. Students enjoy the civic involvement because they get to belong to a group and help hungry Montanans, she said.

“For me, I do it to meet new people and to help the community,” she said.

It also gives some younger students their first experience with community service, she said.

“It shows them that community service isn't such a bad thing,” she said. “It can be fun.”

Natalie Linn, a sixth-grader at Washington Middle School, said that's why she volunteered. She liked working for a good cause. And it provided an excuse to wear her costume - a movie theater popcorn box - around town.

“It's great having the feeling of helping people,” she said.

 

Get in the act

The Missoula Food Bank appreciates donations of food and money at 219 S. Third St. W., Missoula MT 59801. For more information, call 549-0543.
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