BILLINGS — 12,160—that’s the number of people in Yellowstone County facing food insecurity, according to Feeding America. It's a large number, but one that’s being targeted by food insecurity programs like the one in Billings School District 2.
With Thanksgiving break approaching, those programs are even more crucial, supporters say.
“If you’re going home to a tough situation, or you’re not sure you’ll have enough food while you’re home for those five days, it definitely changes the excitement for that kid,” said Kelly McCandless, the executive director of the Billings Public Schools Education Foundation, on Friday. “In our middle and high schools, we expect that we’re serving a minimum of 400 kids every week. For example, at Senior High, in October they were serving about 120 kids a day. So we conservatively say we’re helping to feed 800 kids every week."
At Billings Senior, more than 100 students per day rely on access to the food pantry to provide nutrition they otherwise might not receive.
“The need is great," said Jenny Fleek-Airne, an advisor and teacher at Senior High, on Friday. "We don’t want to turn anyone away."
In Yellowstone County, many families are faced with food insecurity as costs continue to rise but wages stay the same.
“If you’re at the grocery store, it’s pretty easy to see. I know when I go to checkout, it’s always more than I expect it to be," McCandless said. "Fluctuating gas prices make it difficult. And then if you’re somebody who is renting and maybe your rent has gone up, or even those of us who are in our homes, our property taxes are getting higher. Your property values are getting higher. So everything is growing, but wage growth isn’t keeping up with that."
It's a far-reaching problem.
Fleet-Airne assists the Senior High student council in managing the school's food pantry and says the resource is necessary.
“If you haven’t eaten and you don’t know where your next meal is coming from, how are you going to sit in your classroom and focus on your studies?" Fleet-Airne said. "School is our number one priority, it’s our number one job. But we, as educators, can’t be at our best with our students if our students aren’t able to focus in on what we’re doing."
The need extends far beyond those walls, which is why days like Friday are crucial for the county's youth.
"The food in (the meal kits) should hopefully last for a few days so that they know they have something to eat and they don’t have to worry about that,” said Jennifer Smith, the regional vice president for the Billings area of Flying S Title and Escrow, on Friday. “I’m really grateful to our company for allowing us to do this. To have the opportunity to volunteer within our local communities. Not every company does that and it really means a lot."
Flying S Title and Escrow spent the day volunteering their time to help put together 420 meal kits to send home over Thanksgiving break with Billings School District 2 students in need. They also wrapped books to gift to the children along with the kits.
"I think we’re all a little isolated from it and we don’t know how much is out there. I have two kids of my own that went through School District 2, through the school system, and I can’t imagine not knowing where their next meal was coming from," Smith said. "It really opens your eyes, so this meant a lot to all of us. I think we all had a great time."
According to the Montana Food Bank Network, it’s estimated that 28,400 children in Montana experience food insecurity.
The need for kits like those is growing.
“Last year if I was doing this interview, I would have said 700 kids a week. So in two short months of the school year, that number’s grown significantly,” McCandless said. “Many of the families we’re caring for are working families. I tell people often that our numbers don’t stay consistent every week. We’ll see fewer kids in need at the beginning of the month and more kids by the end of the month. We believe that’s because maybe your SNAP benefits have worn out or you’re waiting for a paycheck to come through."
Which makes days like this even more important.
"When it’s kids in need, there’s just always someone willing to help," McCandless said. "But to have 20 people come today, give up their time, to make sure that we can not only take care of these kids for Thanksgiving but wrap books to give them for Christmas. For kids who may not get much or who may not have books at home. This is huge."
Both the Education Foundation and Senior High food pantry are always accepting donations, whether they be financial or food.
“It’s important to note that these programs run on donations," McCandless said. "We can’t run these programs if the community doesn’t show up in the form of volunteer time, financial donations, or food drives. We take it all to make sure that these kids are all fed. So if anyone’s ever interested, reach out to us. There’s always a way to help.”
To learn more about school food pantries in Billings, click here.
To learn more about Backpack Meal Kits, click here.
“I can’t quite imagine if I was in need and my own children were being able to benefit from something like this," McCandless said. "It’s outstanding, and Billings is just an incredible place the way we take care of each other."
