North Valley Food Bank holds Trick or Treat food drive

The North Valley Food Bank is gearing up for its Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat food drive.

The food bank is experiencing a 68% increase in overall pantry visits and has served more than 500 first-time families in 2022. Of the food bank customers, 24% are children.

The third annual Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat food drive will benefit hungry and undernourished kids and teens in Northwestern Montana. The community event will begin Saturday, Oct. 15, and culminate on Halloween, Oct. 31.

During this time, the food bank will be collecting kid-friendly, non-perishable items onsite and at schools, local businesses and grocery stores. Recommended items include canned tuna, macaroni and cheese, applesauce cups, cereal, oatmeal, nuts, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, fruit cups, popcorn, fruit snacks, soups, goldfish crackers, trail mix, granola bars, jerky, toothbrushes, toothpaste and children’s vitamins. North Valley Food Bank is seeking to balance the tradition of candy by providing healthy, nourishing foods and requests no donated sweets.

To locate the donation bins, look for the “bat signal” — the black and orange posters with the NVFB logo and bat insigne — in the windows of participating businesses and grocery stores.

“We are experiencing a dramatic rise in the number of families coming to the food bank and are serving the highest numbers in our 45-year history,” said the food bank’s executive director Sophie Albert. “In September, the total number of visits reached 1,635. In addition, we usually see a 25% increase in demand for food during the holiday months. Add to this the inflated cost of living and you have a perfect storm for food insecurity.”

Along with food donations, North Valley Food Bank is seeking volunteers to hand out fliers, collect food donations and sort them. If you are interested in volunteering, visit the volunteer page on the website, northvalleyfoodbank.org, or contact Anya Brown at anya@northvalleyfoodbank.org.