Bismarck + Compassion = Humble Heroes.

"North Dakota Nice", you hear it a lot, and every day there are examples that prove it to be true. Today is July 20th, and so many of us are unaware of some real humble heroes in our town. Since the first of June volunteers have lent their time and their efforts into helping the hunger. Families that have had an extremely difficult time due to lack of work, financial hardship, and since COVID-19 entered the scene, hunger is a real issue. You may have seen some extra traffic at Kirkwood mall this past Saturday, which is evidence of how many people, families are struggling. There were hundreds of cars out there waiting for some relief, Great Plains Food Bank Regional Services Director Rachel Monge described it like this “People in need don’t have a face. There are just a lot more people in need than we’ve ever seen in North Dakota. This is food that farmers weren’t able to get to the restaurants and schools due to closures, so now this food can be recovered and get to families.”  

This is all thanks to a short-term USDA program called Farmers to Families. The bottom line is this, any families that are in need of help can come by and grab a box - which has inside all sorts of produce, from vegetables to fruit, to just about anything a farmer has put in. One box per family is what is given out. Also out there at the mall, around 25 volunteers from Evangel Church assisted. This isn't just a "one and done" event, the program will continue through August at other locations in North Dakota and Clay County, Minnesota. For more on this story click here.