Veterans pantry distributes much more than food

Allen Erickson, founder of North West Montana Veterans Stand Down and Food Pantry, said his retirement hobby has morphed into a seven-day-a-week job.

He and his wife, Linda, oversee an operation that runs with 15 volunteers, a few paid staff and some paid through government training programs such as Experience Works and Work Experience.

“I never dreamed that it would do what it’s doing,” Allen said.

What he started with a load of potatoes distributed to homeless and hungry veterans in 2000 has exploded into a full-time food pantry, varied counseling, computer access and homeless assistance. Linda said their thrift store, which is open to all, helps support their services while setting aside items like medical equipment to loan out for free.

“We have walkers and wheelchairs and bath benches, hospital beds that we loan out not only just to veterans but also to their spouses and to the low income,” she said. “The county health nurse even comes and gets things for her people.”

It operates on the honor system with a minimum of paperwork. People who can’t afford this equipment may borrow it from the veterans center and use it for as long as they need it.

“We’re just growing and growing and growing,” Allen said. “We have 206 families in different stages of homelessness. It’s totally ridiculous.”

He points to moving into the donated building in the spring of 2010 as the catalyst for growth. Located next to Gold Rush Pawn in front of Kmart in Evergreen, the building quadrupled and vastly improved the nonprofit organization’s space and magnified its exposure.

“We are able to offer more services,” Allen said. “Now, we have showers for our homeless and we have laundry for them. They can get on computers and look for jobs and communicate with friends and family. We have guys that use it every day.”

Linda added that veterans also can use the computer to check on their benefits since the VA has gone online.

“They can check on their health care,” she said. “So we’ve been picking up more people using the Internet station that we have here.”

Northwest Montana Veterans Stand Down and Food Pantry now serves about 500 low-income veterans including those who don’t come in every month. Linda said they serve 250 families and last month helped 315 veterans.

“That does not include our big Stand Down, where we had 1,752 people come in two days,” she said. “That was in Libby on the first weekend in October.”

According to Allen, veterans and their families have moved to Montana from all over the country looking for a safe place to live. Some were promised jobs that never appeared and ended up at various stand-down events where veterans receive food, clothing and referrals for help.

“We have vets that moved here from back East, from California,” he said. “We have quite a few families from Missouri.”

The nonprofit serves people around the valley including Hungry Horse and West Glacier, as well as from Polson, Ronan, Libby, Eureka, Browning, Cut Bank and Choteau.

“It’s amazing,” Linda said. “They keep calling us the VA pantry, and we have to keep telling them we are not the VA. They think we get government money.”

Before providing assistance like a food box, the organization determines if the applicant meets income guidelines of earning no more than 150 percent of poverty guidelines. Linda said the public often thinks that veterans receive a lot of money from the VA.

“There’s a large section that do not and they do qualify,” she said. “And then there’s those with jobs — the working poor. They still need help.”

The veterans organization works closely with other agencies like the VA to help the homeless find shelter. Linda said that Karen Blackbird of the VA has done an exceptional job.

“She’s been able to house, I’m thinking 35 homeless veterans within the last 12 months,” Linda said.

Northwest Montana Veterans Stand Down and Food Pantry steps in with a care box from the thrift shop with items such as dishes, pots and pans, bedding and towels. Linda provides beds when available and other furniture for a small fee.

“I have churches that make quilts, so they always get a new quilt for their bed,” Linda said.

So far, the organization has met the challenges that come from more need each year.

“We’re holding our own,” Allen said. “Except for food. We always need food donations.”

Linda said she has begun working on holiday boxes.

The pantry has plenty of fresh potatoes thanks to Bill Koenig’s large contribution. Linda also has a good supply of canned green beans and corn but needs other canned goods.

She would welcome donations of other canned vegetables along with turkeys and other traditional holiday fixings. When the pantry asks for food donations, assistance usually arrives from the very supportive community.

 Linda laughed as she said she has to be careful about her requests, recalling the 1,700 pounds of pasta that arrived unpackaged in just two huge containers.

Fortunately, a team of Home Depot volunteers wanted to provide some volunteer help at that time. They tackled the mountain of pasta with an assembly line operation.

“They got it all bagged, sealed and shelved for me,” Linda said. “It was awesome.”

 She said people could help their organization most by donating either cash or food. They don’t need any more clothes for the thrift shop but they would love to welcome more shoppers into their store located inside the center.

The organization recently placed advertising that has helped business pick up.

“Because of the thrift store, not only are we able to pay three employees, we are able to keep our shelves a little more stocked,” Linda said. “It provides the money for me to buy the food to give away to the veterans.”

Linda sees no lessening in demand for food and their other services, saying that she averaged about 160 families a month needing help last year. Now, the organization serves an average of more than 200 a month.

“That’s the trend,” Linda said. “It’s really sad.”

Allen, who has been fighting cancer, and Linda worry about finding people to fill their shoes in the future. For now, they would be happy to have volunteers fill in for them so they could take a vacation.

As an incentive, they point to rewards more satisfying than money when people come back to thank them for helping turn their lives around. Linda said it sometimes takes years, but it happens.

Allen recalled the young man who came in on the day he was to graduate from college. He wanted to thank Allen for taking the time to share his experience and wisdom with him three years ago.

“Three years from a total drunken druggie to a college graduate, clean and sober,” Allen said with a smile. “You use your life experience to help someone else. That’s what I did with him.”

People interested in donating or volunteering may find out more by calling 756-7304; by visiting their website, veteransfoodpantry.org; or by stopping by the service center at 1349 U.S. 2 E. in Kalispell.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.