Newsroom & FAQ’s
Inquiries & Requests
For inquiries from the press or other media, requests for interviews or speakers, or requests to use the Helena Food Share logo, print or digital materials, please contact:
Patty White
Communications Director
email: [email protected]
p: 406-443-3663 ext 109
For general inquiries about our services, email [email protected] or call 406-443-3663.
FAQ’s: Programs & Impact
Programs
Helena Food Share is home to a number of programs uniquely designed to reduce hunger in our community. Other than Farmers Market Coupons and Senior Commodities, there are no income requirements for participating in the programs.
Customers shop for items such as milk, eggs, meat, and staple items in the market monthly and weekly for other perishable food items like produce, bread, dairy, etc.
Customers can visit the Market once a week. There are no income requirements to shop. After checking in at the front desk, we ask that a short intake form be completed during their first visit. All information is kept confidential. Customers can shop for what they need, and friendly volunteers and staff are available to help with the shopping experience. View a sample shop in the video below.
A special pack of kid-friendly foods that provides weekend nutrition during the school year for pre-school, elementary, and middle school kids at risk of hunger in Helena, East Helena, Boulder, Basin, Canyon Creek, and Lincoln. Contact your child’s school counselor or principal to learn how to participate in this program.
Our garden grows fresh produce for Helena Food Share customers. The garden offers customers a chance to pick up fresh, locally grown food and provides educational opportunities for home gardening.
Low-income eligible adults age 60 and older can receive bi-monthly commodity boxes providing a staple of nutritious food in addition to what seniors can get at the market. This program is funded by a USDA grant through MT DPHHS.
Click Here for details on low-income eligibility and distribution dates.
As an extra for the holidays, customers receive a holiday turkey and sides so they can serve a traditional holiday meal.
Generous grocers in the Helena area donate food every weekday to Helena Food Share. Good food that isn’t being sold and would otherwise be discarded is set aside, brought to our warehouse, sorted, and made available for customers to shop.
For people with an urgent need, we offer a special pack of high-calorie food that provides immediate nutrition. We prepare these packs for use by the police department, EMTs, God’s Love, and other human service and community organizations in the Helena area that serve or interact with vulnerable populations.
Impact
The Need for Food:
One in seven adults and one in five children and seniors in Helena are food insecure.*
* Food Insecurity definition – being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food
Food was provided to 9,748 individuals and 4,166 households in the greater Helena area in 2024, with the majority living in the tri-county area. Kids, seniors, and families of every size utilize our programs. 99% of our customers are at or below the poverty level.
Disabilities, health issues and/or medical expenses, increases in housing and other living expenses, unexpected life expenses, unemployment or underemployment, and social and economic isolation can all create financial hardships. Food support ensures our neighbors don’t have to face hunger or sacrifice nutrition to meet other expenses.
Helena Food Share Impact:
In 2024, 9,748 unique individuals were served in 4,166 unique households. An average of 1,500 households are served each month. Overall, 32,133 Grocery Share services were distributed in 2024.
Nearly 1.9 million pounds of food were provided in 2024. That much food puts over 1.5 million meals on tables in our community.
In 2024, 825,007 lbs were rescued from local grocery stores, HFS purchased 431,452 lbs, 287,2304 lbs were from food drives and individual donations, 274,856 lbs were from federal programs, and local growers donated 41,050 lbs of fresh produce.
In 2024, 2,496 meals were distributed for Thanksgiving & Christmas at Helena Food Share and St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Meals included turkey/ham, produce & food for traditional side dishes.
45,957 packs of weekend meals & snacks were distributed in 2023 to Helena, East Helena, Boulder, Basin, Canyon Creek, and Lincoln Pre-K, Elementary and Middle School students who experience chronic food insecurity.
The need for Emergency Packs increased again in 2024, with a total of 5,958 packs distributed through 16 partner agencies.
In 2024, 1,559 Senior Commodities boxes were distributed and 264 Seniors participated in the Farmer’s Market Coupons program.
For every $6.00 donated, an average of 10 meals is provided to an individual.
