North Valley Food Bank to open free grocery store

Starting on Nov. 3, North Valley Food Bank will open a small free grocery store at its Whitefish facility.

This shopping model will allow customers to come into the food bank and hand-select food items, rather than receive a pre-assembled box of food through the drive- thru. Since the spring of 2020, North Valley Food Bank has been under construction to prepare for this change. Through this expansion, the organization was also able to add significant cooler and freezer space, as well as a community kitchen.

The grocery store will operate on Wednesdays from noon to 6 p.m. Drive-thru services will still be offered on Thursdays, from noon to 4:30 p.m.

At North Valley Food Bank, everyone is welcome. There are no eligibility requirements to receive food, according to a press release. Additionally, there is no judgment around how much customers need or should take when coming to the grocery store. When customers first arrive at the store, a team member or volunteer from the organization will spend some time with them to explain the changes. Customers will then get a shopping cart and can pick out the items they need from the store.

“We believe that food is not, and should never be, a privilege,” said Sophie Albert, the food bank’s executive director. “We ensure that community members have access to healthy and diverse food. Our goal is to fill the gaps between where your resources end and your plate is full.”

This change has been instituted in response to a growing need in the Flathead Valley. Over the past three years, North Valley Food Bank has seen its customer base triple. In a recent community needs assessment, it was determined that 43% of customers struggled to manage their food costs with other bills like heat and electricity. Furthermore, 28% of customers reported that they had run out of money to buy food in the past two weeks.

North Valley Food Bank hopes the flexibility offered by the grocery store model will allow customers to better meet and plan for their needs.

North Valley Food Bank is located at 251 Flathead Ave. in Whitefish. More information can be found at northvalleyfoodbank.org or on Facebook or Instagram. Contact Lauren Jarrold, director of operations, at lauren@northvalleyfoodbank.org or 406- 862-5863 (press 2) for more information.