A champion for veterans in Northwest Montana, Allen Erickson dies at 86

Just a few weeks before his death, Allen Erickson struck up a conversation with another veteran at Immanuel Living. When Erickson learned the veteran didn’t have a vehicle, he arranged to give the man a donated car, so he was able to get to work. 

“Serving his fellow veterans was his passion, and that’s what we’ve been doing forever,” his wife Linda Erickson said. “He was helping his veterans to the end.” 

A U.S. Navy Veteran who served from 1957 to 1963, Erickson was the visionary founder of the Northwest Montana Veterans Food Pantry and the annual Libby Stand Down event. He died May 23 at the age of 86.  

Erickson died at home in Kalispell, surrounded by his family. He is survived by Linda and their children, Bill, Bob, Ginger, Cinnamon and Joe. He and Linda celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary just days before his death on May 21. 

The Veterans Food Pantry, which Erickson founded in 2000, is one of the first established and largest veteran outreach organizations in Montana. It is one of just 17 nonprofit veteran service centers around the nation and serves hundreds of homeless, low-income and at-risk veteran households in the Flathead Valley each year. 

In 1999, Erickson started the annual Stand Down Event in Libby, which remains one of the largest Stand Down events in the United States. During the weekend, veterans receive food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, and Veterans Affairs benefits counseling. Over 1,500 veterans showed up that first year. 

Over the years, Erickson’s vision expanded and the organization acquired an 80-acre campground in Bigfork known as Camp Ponderosa, a retreat and learning center for former servicemen and women.  

“Allen believed in a hand-up, not a handout,” Linda said.  

This belief was influenced by Erickson’s own experiences. He was born in Tacoma, Washington, and raised on a family farm in Lewistown, Montana, with four brothers and seven sisters.  

He joined the Navy at 17 and chased adventure for the next eight years. He frequently told stories about watching the last Japanese soldiers from World War II surrender in Guam and improvising scuba diving gear out of air compressors and gas masks. 

When Erickson left the Navy and returned to civilian life, he struggled with homelessness and alcoholism. He eventually moved to Columbia Falls, where his cousin lived and found a job running a Chevron gas station in Kalispell. The opportunity was what Erickson needed, and he worked his way to become a diesel mechanic. As he found his footing, he began to take in other homeless veterans.  

At the same time, Erickson was battling a skin cancer linked to his exposure to Agent Orange, the tactical-use chemical used during the Vietnam War. Erickson underwent numerous surgeries and was presented to the World Council of Dermatology in the 1980s along with other Agent Orange victims, but did not receive any help from the United States government.  

During these years, he saw the challenges facing the veteran community in Northwest Montana and the lack of available services.  

“We saw a need, and we decided to meet it,” Linda said, describing her husband as hardworking, humble and stubborn as they pursued their goal of helping veterans with a single-minded determination.  

They started small. Erickson kept a semi-truck of clothing in his driveway and distributed potatoes from a farmer in Polson. These quickly ran out, and Erickson doubled down on the operation, which drew more interest and community support each year. Eventually, the food pantry was open five days a week and operated out of a sprawling white building in Evergreen.  

Even though the Ericksons technically retired in 2023, they continued to keep busy with the food pantry, Libby Stand Down and Camp Ponderosa.  

"But this is fun, this isn’t work," Allen said in 2023 after stepping back from their administrative roles with the organization. "It's very enjoyable and I get to meet some of the greatest people in the world, veterans." 

Drawing on his own experiences and personal triumphs, Erickson was able to counsel his fellow veterans and transform lives. This philosophy, of veterans helping veterans, will continue through the organizations he founded decades ago.  

“I just want the community to know that the organizations are going to continue with his vision,” Linda said. “All he cared about was helping his fellow veterans.” 

Reporter Elsa Ericksen can be reached at 406-758-4459 or eericksen@dailyinterlake.com. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.