The generosity of the community of Big Sandy has shined through in the community's support of the Food Bank over the past year. Now the Food Bank wants to thank the community for their exceptional efforts. In particular, the First Bank of Montana and Big Sandy Schools went above and beyond in their efforts to make certain that locals in need would have both food and paper products over the 2024 holiday season. The Big Sandy Food Bank wants to extend their thanks to the community, First Bank of Montana, and the Big Sandy Schools.
During the months of November and December First Bank of Montana, under the direction of Demra Brown, ran a food drive in the community. Their efforts were completed with a pledge to match community contributions. A list of 12 high-demand food items was posted at the bank along with collections boxes. By the end of the drive, $500 worth of food donations were collected and matched by First Bank. On top of the material collection, a generous member of the community donated $500, which First Bank matched as well. The $1000 worth of food donations and $1000 in cash donations is a major help for the Big Sandy Food Bank's efforts towards meeting needs in the Big Sandy Community.
Big Sandy Public Schools conducted paper product drives, under the leadership of Mrs. Samantha Weaver, who teaches Kindergarten at FE Miley School, and Mrs. Jessie Jaramillo at the High School. The Big Sandy High School Student Council, under Mrs. Jaramillo's leadership, lead the charge at the high school. They also collected $250 in donations from the students. For many years, the schools have collected food during the holidays to supplement the needs for Thanksgiving and Christmas. 2 years ago, the decision was made to shift the focus to paper products due to the generous work of the Angel Baskets program in Chouteau County, which has met most of the community food needs.
For a second consecutive year, the paper drive has collected so much material the food bank is literally overflowing. The support provided will help meet needs well into the 2025 calendar year. The collection of paper products is an important and often overlooked need in the community. Households need things like tissues and toilet paper, which consumes financial resources.
These efforts from within the community to stock and maintain the Big Sandy Food Bank are vital to its operation, not only because of the material needs, but also because they create ownership and teach our young people the importance of charity and caring for neighbors. Without them, the Big Sandy Food Bank could not meet the need of our neighbors throughout the year. In addition, all of the financial support raised goes into an account at the Big Sandy Grocery Store. That means that money donated to the local Food Bank remains in the community and works beyond meeting the immediate need by stimulating the local economy.
The efforts on the part of First Bank of Montana and the Big Sandy Schools are vital now as the food bank is meeting a large local need. Over the course of 2024, the food bank patronage consisted of 11 families receiving regular monthly assistance (21 adults and 14 children), 5 families receiving periodic assistance (7 adults and 7 children), and 6 families receiving "as requested" assistance (8 adults and 6 children).
If you would like to make donations to the Big Sandy Food Bank, you can do so by making deposits to the account at the Grocery Store or making material donations by contacting Terry Grant at 406-390-2922 or Erik Sietsema at 406-399-3803.
