Staff

Bruce was born in Billings and has lived in three Montana cities: Helena, Great Falls and Billings. When he’s not at the helm of the Helena Food Share ship, Bruce can be found dancing barefoot, hiking or reading a good novel. Bruce’s favorite snack from childhood is his Grandma Amada’s Arroz con Pollo. “No one else can make it like she did,” Bruce says.

As Kim describes it, she grew up in “The land of plenty (East Helena), where the bounty of Montana has nourished me with food, family and friends.” Kim appreciates spending time outside in Montana’s stunning flora and fauna. The breweries in Montana also have a special place in her heart. The smiles, laughter, tears and joy that make up a day at Helena Food Share are what make Kim love her job so much. Kim has a sweet tooth for her mother’s Swedish toffee cookies.

Daneal hails from the small hamlet of Fairfield, Montana (the malt barley capital of the world). Daneal says her favorite meal from childhood includes anything with a side of artichoke. She also loves cheese and pickle sandwiches, specifically, sharp cheddar cheese, dill pickles and white bread. When she’s not at Helena Food Share, Daneal loves to go camping and fishing with her two adorable sons, her husband and friends. Daneal appreciates working at Helena Food Share because she likes the commitment to valuing each person who walks through the doors.

Kara hails from “the great state of Oregon,” as she refers to her home state. When she’s not working at Helena Food Share, Kara enjoys biking, camping and basically “doin’ stuff outside.” Sometimes she reads a book (or more if she’s on vacation). Beware! Kara is a martial artist with a yellow belt in karate. Kara also loves hanging out with her massive Newfoundland dog Goose.

Dave is a Montana boy, originally from Twin Bridges. Dave is wise enough to know that his favorite food comes from his wife’s kitchen; Mary Anderson’s coconut lemon cake. When Dave isn’t busy driving the Helena Food Share truck, he spends his time toiling in his raised bed gardens, scrapbooking and building stage sets. Dave especially loves hearing people’s stories as they come to Helena Food Share. He doesn’t mind his co-workers too much either.

Steve says he is from both Bozeman and Billings. His favorite go to snack is dessert. If he had to rank his hobbies, his children would earn the #1 spot followed by travel and sports. When asked what he loves most about Helena Food Share, Steve’s answer is simple: “People. Staff, volunteers, customers.”

Liz has been a non-profit fundraiser in Montana and Washington since 2005, and has raised over $10M for local Montana nonprofits. Before joining the non-profit sector, Liz was VP of Marketing and Publicity at Random House publishers. Liz is honored to help her colleagues at Helena Food Share deliver the outstanding service they provide to our neighbors in need by inviting our generous community to “make a difference” in the lives of hungry children, adults and veterans through donations. Her all-time favorite food was her Mom’s tuna noodle casserole, which she’s often tried to replicate, without much success.

Jami grew up in the south, where her earliest memories are food related. She has several iron skillets and still drinks tea out of mason jars. On the weekend she can be found snuggling with her husband and lab in their tiny vintage camper. She is obsessed with cookbooks and enjoys filling the recipe board with season recipes that use ingredients from the pantry. She is the happiest when sharing meals with her family (especially around campfires).

John is a Huntsville, Alabama native. He lived in the state until he turned 18. Now that he resides in Helena, John enjoys playing music with his various bands, hiking and camping. John is also fond of breakfast for dinner, and his wife Claire. Working with volunteers is the highlight of John’s time at Helena Food Share.

Sally is originally from New York City, but has now been in Helena for over twenty years and considers Montana her forever home. When not holding down the fort at the Administrative Offices, Sally can be found cooking, hiking or reading. Sally loves pasta because you can make it a thousand different ways. When Sally’s kids were young, she couldn’t always make ends meet even with two jobs and was a Helena Food Share customer. She says, “It’s exciting to be able to pay it forward and to help other people who are going through a tough time in their lives.”

Denise began her time here at Helena Food Share as a valued volunteer at the Pantry on Wednesday mornings. Denise has a strong background in accounting and hotel management and puts these skills to work at the Administrative offices as the Development Assistant. Denise loves to bring treats into the office to ensure that her coworkers are happy.

Leroy was born and raised in Mandan, North Dakota and enjoyed many summers of fishing the 10,000 lakes of Minnesota. Leroy spent a career in the military and retired in 2010 from the Portland Air National Guard. The camaraderie of the staff and the volunteers at Helena Food Share makes work feel like a second home to Leroy. His passions include cooking, woodworking and reading. Leroy loves a good Mexican meal, but you won’t find him in the mariachi band as he claims to have no talent for singing or dancing.