News you can use
News you can use
Press release
Gov. Steve Bullock and First Lady Lisa Bullock, in partnership with Montana No Kid Hungry, announced a total of $212,500 in grant funds awarded to organizations for continued operation of food support programs in the wake of COVID-19 including the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation.
Rocky Boy received $10,000 in the grant award.
This round of grant funding brings the total amount of No Kid Hungry funding for Montana to $555,150 since the onset of the pandemic. This total includes both pandemic emergency relief grants as well as Summer Meal funding.
“Communities have truly stepped up to take care of each other over the past several months,” Steve Bullock said. “Schools, businesses and community organizations are going above and beyond to meet needs during a time of uncertainty, highlighting our resiliency and culture of caring as a state.”
Bullock, who cannot run for that office due to term limits, is running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate. He faces incumbent Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Wendie Fredrickson, who is running as a Green Party candidate although the Green Party told the Havre Daily News they have no affiliation with her or the PAC supporting her.
“Food security is critical for the physical and emotional well-being of Montana’s students,” Lisa Bullock said. “We are grateful to Montana No Kid Hungry and our schools and community leaders for partnering with us to take that weight off of parents’ shoulders, while ensuring our students have their nutritional needs met.”
Lisa Lee, director for Montana No Kid Hungry, added, “We’re noticing a shift in how communities are responding to the food security needs as many organizations are being more creative and planning long-term solutions now. Schools are being hit hard through this pandemic. They have had to make tough budgetary decisions and it’s important to support their food and nutrition operations through our No Kid Hungry grants in a holistic way so they can meet the needs of their students.”
The other recipients of the grants are:
• Dutton Brady School — $5,000
• Boys & Girls Club of the Flathead — $60,000
• Polson School District — $25,000
• Lewistown Public Schools — $10,000
• Hardin Public Schools — $28,000
• Plentywood Public Schools — $7,000
• St. Regis School District — $40,000
• Libby School District — $20,000
• St. Labre Public Schools — $7,500
Hardin Public Schools will use grant funds to help with the transportation costs of their meal delivery program. The school district is delivering meals using three school bus routes, serving 300-500 breakfasts and lunches each day to their community as well as the outlying areas of St. Xavier, Fort Smith, Busby and Muddy Cluster.
“Access to food in southeast Montana is challenging,” said Hardin Director of School Nutrition Patrice O’Loughlin. “The school buses we are using to deliver meals drive through each small community honking the horn like an ice cream truck and the kids come running to pick up food. Recently a young child came to the curbside service and handed us a handmade card in the shape of a heart. Inside the card they wrote ‘thank you for feeding us’ and taped three pennies. It’s moments like these that make our work so meaningful and reassure us that we are helping families to meet one of their most basic needs.”
Plentywood Public Schools plans to use their grant to supplement higher labor costs associated with providing emergency food to families during COVID-19, purchase more food storage refrigeration units and to purchase more food delivery materials. They are also looking ahead to the upcoming school year and will use the other half of grant funding to implement an expanded Breakfast After the Bell program in the fall.
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