Broadwater Food Bank Low On Clients
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
The Broadwater Food Bank has experienced a steep drop in the number of families seeking help over the past several years, perhaps because a shortage of affordable housing has forced needy people to leave our community. That is the speculation of operations manager Karoline Nelson. She says the Food Bank used to serve up to 40 families every week. The number is now down to about 15 families every other week.
The Food Bank, a non-profit charitable organization, has new leadership, with Daryl Blumhagen joining the board of directors as president, replacing longtime president Don Peace.
Asked if he had any thoughts about leaving the Food Bank, Don said, “I have been here ten or eleven years. I came on when Marge Cheever was the leader. She had recently moved the Food Bank from the old Duehr barber shop on Broadway to the present location at 315 Broadway.”
Don first joined the board as a representative from his church when he and his wife Maxine first moved to Townsend. “It was an exciting time at the Food Bank,” he said. “Mary Parker, who had once owned a grocery store, laid out the shelves and aisles. Townsend church members were all highly active and we had many customers.”
Daryl became interested through serving for his church as well. He welcomed major painting and refurbishing of the facility spearheaded by the Townsend Rotary Club last spring. Members of the Amish community near Radersburg painted the outside of the building. Townsend Flooring supplied both the materials and the labor to install a new floor. Helen Turcotte, through the Broadwater Community Foundation, set up a matching fund to purchase two new upright coolers. Rotary members moved all the canned goods, painted the room, put in the shades, then replaced the canned goods on the shelves.
“It was a community effort and welcomed by all of us who work here, and by those who use our services,” Daryl said. The Food Bank board is made up of representatives from seven Townsend churches plus the officers and one member at large. Members from Faith Baptist, Townsend United Methodist, Holy Cross Catholic, Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran, Trailhead Christian Fellowship and Mountain Valley (Alliance) churches serve on a rotating basis throughout the year.
Karoline explained the change in Broadwater Food Bank’s clientele. “Up until COVID, we served twenty to forty families every week. That amounted to about 100 persons. When COVID hit, we boxed up food and set it out for people to pick up. Our regular families slowly disappeared. The number of people we serve has never come back to those high numbers. We are open only twice or three times a month, and maybe see 15 families.”
They have tried to put the word out that the Food Bank is open, she said. They used to have a Facebook page, but no longer. Rotary members have tried unsuccessfully to interest young people in keeping up a Facebook page for the facility. Karoline said she suspected one of the reasons their client numbers are low is because of the lack of housing in the area. “Our people can no longer afford to live here,” she said.
Karoline is a ten-year member of the Food Bank board. Members stock shelves and wait on clientele.
Food available on a regular basis includes beef, chicken, wild game meat, cheese, milk, butter, eggs, bread, canned goods, baking ingredients, seasonal vegetables, and fruit. Whole turkeys are given at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Food donations from the community are welcome on the first, third and fifth Fridays of every month beginning at 3:30 p.m. The Food Bank has two major contributors: Town Pump of Montana and the annual “Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat,” program put on by the youth of the local churches. The youth gathered 1,800 pounds of canned goods last year Karoline said. Town Pump puts on an annual match program from September to November. Last year they matched the annual fundraising with $7,500. The Food Bank raises money at events such as Fall Fest. It also has contribution boxes at Bob’s Supermarket.
“Town Pump has been very generous. During COVID we received an extra $1,000 each year. In addition, the local Town Pump raised $5,413 in contributions for us,” Karoline explained.
The Broadwater Food Bank offers food to anyone who is in need. Financial proof is not necessary. The service is open the first, third and fifth Saturdays of each month from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. For more information, please call Karoline at (406) 438-3981.
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PhotoCredit: Nancy Marks
Image 1 Caption: Daryl Blumhagen, right is the new president the board of directors of Broadwater Food Pantry replacing long time president Don Peace, left. Steve Visocan, center, is treasurer.
