Food banks and other community support organizations are preparing for one of the busiest times of year.
The holiday season marks a time when families and individuals in need are offered a host of resources and supplies through area food banks.
Just last week, the Flathead Valley Food Bank served 270 families with bags of supplies such as groceries.
“This is a very busy time of year. We’re still seeing a lot of new people but not a lot more people. We’ve stabilized,” said Lori Botkin, executive director of the Flathead Valley Food Bank, which is based in Kalispell and operates satellite sites across the valley.
The food bank will deliver Thanksgiving meals to over 900 families this year, Botkin said.
Food banks and other organizations are welcoming donations and volunteer efforts to help answer the need.
Flathead Valley Food Bank
Kalispell Office
1203 Hwy 2 West, Suite 2 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. (Monday and Wednesdays) 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Tuesday and Thursdays) 7:30am – 12 p.m. (Fridays)
Second Helpings Thrift Store1203 Hwy 2 West, Suite 1 Open: 10am-6 p.m., Tuesday – Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday
Kalispell Pantry1203 Hwy 2 West, Suite 2 Food Distributions: 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Every Tuesday and Thursday)
Bigfork Pantry7545 Hwy 35 (Streeters’ Corner) Food Distributions: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (2nd and 4th Tuesdays every month)
Evergreen PantryCalvary Lutheran Church 2200 Hwy 2 East Food Distributions: 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1st and 3rd Tuesdays every month)
Marion PantryFire Department Auxiliary Building, across from the school Food Distributions: 1:30 p.m. – 3:30p.m. (2nd and 4th Wednesdays every month)
Martin City PantryCanyon Head Start Building Food Distributions: 8:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. (2nd and 4th Tuesdays every month)
North Valley Food Bank
251 Flathead Ave.
Whitefish, 59937
(406) 862-5863
North Valley Food Bank is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., to accept donations. Food is distributed on Thursdays, from 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. Emergency distributions as needed.
Northwest Montana Veteran’s Food Pantry
1349 Highway 2 East
Kalispell, MT 59901
406-756-7304
Open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Last year the Food Pantry received 231,722 pounds of food for local veterans and their families. Almost 200 veteran households were served.
Samaritan House
124 Ninth Ave. W.
Kalispell 59901
406-257-5801
A nonprofit homeless shelter and transitional living program, providing food, housing, resources, and case management for the homeless in Kalispell and beyond the Flathead Valley