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.

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.

Daneal has worked for Helena Food Share since 2016, helping donors make a big difference for those in need. Daneal works remotely from Choteau, MT raising funds to provide food for those who need it in the greater Helena area. She loves being a small part in such a big community effort. She also loves spending time with her four children, husband, family, and friends doing life Montana-style – camping, fishing, and outdoor recreating (as long as it’s not cold out). With four little kids in tow, Daneal understands the importance of snacks and loves any healthy, on-the-go, mess-free foods, but would never turn down a plate of pasta.

Cathy was born and raised in Helena and volunteered at Helena Food Share before joining this exceptional team. Always a home cook, making sure all tables have quality food in this community is a fulfilling way to spend each day. When she’s not assisting in the pantry, Cathy enjoys reading, gardening, fly fishing, and hanging out with her grandchildren.

Dave is a Montana boy, originally from Twin Bridges. He spent 13 years working overseas, with the Vietnamese Boat People in Hong Kong and the poor living on the garbage dump of Manila. His calling is to the poor and needy of this world. Raised bed gardening is his favorite summer activity; raising grapes and apples to produce his own grape juice and jelly and apple sauce. Chili’s is his favorite restaurant with chicken enchiladas a favorite food.

 

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.

Patty is a long-time Helena resident who has worked in the non-profit sector (Carroll College, the Montana Nonprofit Association, the Helena Symphony and the Holter Museum of Art) in Executive Director and Marketing & Communication roles for most of her career. She also served on the Helena City Commission and loves the Helena community. Outside of work, you will often find Patty hiking Montana’s trails with her family, friends, and her canine best friend, Maggie. Patty is always on the look-out for new recipes using her favorite vegan ingredients but dark chocolate is always a staple.

Sally is originally from New York City, but has now been in Helena for over twenty-five years and considers Montana her forever home. 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!” She is a food enthusiast, professional baker, and has owned her own restaurant. She is a regular chef demonstrating new recipes on our Charlie Cart, and she writes our monthly food column, “Eat Well & Share” in the Independent Record as well as providing content for our recipe page on this website.

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.

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.”

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.