Our Story

We envision a community that embraces food justice where no one feels shame or experiences stigma when asking for help.

Nourishing Community for 40 years

2022

Amy Allison Thompson joins the Team

Amy Alli­son Thomp­son is hired as exec­u­tive director.

2022

Celebrating 40 Years

MFB&CC cel­e­brates 40 years of ser­vice with this com­mu­ni­ty and 5 years in our facil­i­ty on Wyoming Street.

2020

Serving during the pandemic

MFB&CC is on the front­lines of respond­ing to the glob­al COVID-19 pan­dem­ic, serv­ing 36,000 dif­fer­ent peo­ple in the Store using an altered grab-and-go dis­tri­b­u­tion model.

2019

Lived Experience

Board changes bylaws requir­ing board to include 50% rep­re­sen­ta­tion by peo­ple with lived experience.

2018

Expanding our name

Mis­soula Food Bank adds Com­mu­ni­ty Cen­ter to our legal name.

2017

100,000+ Services

The Store pro­vides 100,000 ser­vices to 25,344 dif­fer­ent people.

2017

A new home

MFB’s first ser­vices from our new home on Wyoming Street. This move allowed all MFB staff to be housed in the same build­ing, expand­ed our wait­ing room and Store areas, pro­vid­ed more pri­vate resources assis­tance booths, and brought our ware­house onsite. MFB added a hands-on learn­ing kitchen, EmPow­er Place, our onsite child learn­ing cen­ter, and held space for future part­ner­ships which would come to house a reg­u­lar WIC Clin­ic and Part­ner­ship Health Center’s satel­lite health care facility.

2016

We found our future home

Prop­er­ty at 1720 Wyoming Street is iden­ti­fied by a volunteer. 

2015

After school meals begin

Kid’s Table After School begins pro­vid­ing 600+ dai­ly after school meals to area students.

2014

Aaron Brock joins the team

Aaron Brock is hired as exec­u­tive director. 

2008

50,000+ Services

The Store pro­vides 50,000 ser­vices to 15,923 dif­fer­ent people.

2005

Food Circle begins

Food Cir­cle, Montana’s first pre­pared-food res­cue pro­gram, begins at MFB.

2001

ROOTS & Kids Café are born

Nation­al Hunger Fel­lows help to devel­op and launch the ROOTS senior home deliv­ery pro­gram and Kids Café, the pre­cur­sor to Kids Table.

2000

1st Turkey Distribution

Our Food Bank’s first Turkey Distribution.

1999

Cynthia Lotty joins our team

Cyn­thia Lot­ty is hired as exec­u­tive director.

1997

20,000+ Services

The Store pro­vides 20,000 ser­vices to 9,830 dif­fer­ent people. 

1993

Expanding to 5 days a week

Ser­vices expand to 5 days per week.

1992

Moved into our 3rd St. home

MFB pur­chas­es the for­mer Rockin’ Rudy’s Store at 219 South Third Street, our home for 20+ years.

1988

Bill Carey joins our team

Bill Carey is hired as exec­u­tive director.

1986

Our first Holiday Drive

MFB’s first Hol­i­day Dri­ve rais­es 42,925 lbs of food and $4,000

1984

Moving into a new home

We out­grow the Cream­ery base­ment and move to the old Spaghet­ti Fac­to­ry. Hours expand to MWF, 10am-1pm.

1983

Humble beginnings

MFB rents the base­ment of the Old Cream­ery Build­ing. Hours are Thurs & Fri 10am-4pm.

1982

Services begin

Ser­vices begin. Peo­ple request food on an answer­ing machine and vol­un­teers deliv­er from their own cars.

1982

Coming together

A group of Mis­sou­lians infor­mal­ly called Peo­ple End­ing Hunger” comes togeth­er to form local solutions.

1980

Our roots

In 1980 the US expe­ri­enced a deep eco­nom­ic reces­sion. Food inse­cu­ri­ty impact­ed many of our neigh­bors, includ­ing those affect­ed by a shrink­ing wood prod­ucts indus­try. In the ear­ly 1980s, food banks in the US and Cana­da were estab­lished to respond to this cri­sis. Many start­ed with the inten­tion of being a tem­po­rary response. This was the back­drop to our food bank’s beginnings. 

2008

50,000+ Services

The Store pro­vides 50,000 ser­vices to 15,923 dif­fer­ent people.

2005

Food Circle begins

Food Cir­cle, Montana’s first pre­pared-food res­cue pro­gram, begins at MFB.

2001

ROOTS & Kids Café are born

Nation­al Hunger Fel­lows help to devel­op and launch the ROOTS senior home deliv­ery pro­gram and Kids Café, the pre­cur­sor to Kids Table.

2000

1st Turkey Distribution

Our Food Bank’s first Turkey Distribution.

1999

Cynthia Lotty joins our team

Cyn­thia Lot­ty is hired as exec­u­tive director.

1997

20,000+ Services

The Store pro­vides 20,000 ser­vices to 9,830 dif­fer­ent people. 

1993

Expanding to 5 days a week

Ser­vices expand to 5 days per week.

1992

Moved into our 3rd St. home

MFB pur­chas­es the for­mer Rockin’ Rudy’s Store at 219 South Third Street, our home for 20+ years.

1988

Bill Carey joins our team

Bill Carey is hired as exec­u­tive director.

1986

Our first Holiday Drive

MFB’s first Hol­i­day Dri­ve rais­es 42,925 lbs of food and $4,000

1984

Moving into a new home

We out­grow the Cream­ery base­ment and move to the old Spaghet­ti Fac­to­ry. Hours expand to MWF, 10am-1pm.

1983

Humble beginnings

MFB rents the base­ment of the Old Cream­ery Build­ing. Hours are Thurs & Fri 10am-4pm.

1982

Services begin

Ser­vices begin. Peo­ple request food on an answer­ing machine and vol­un­teers deliv­er from their own cars.

1982

Coming together

A group of Mis­sou­lians infor­mal­ly called Peo­ple End­ing Hunger” comes togeth­er to form local solutions.

1980

Our roots

In 1980 the US expe­ri­enced a deep eco­nom­ic reces­sion. Food inse­cu­ri­ty impact­ed many of our neigh­bors, includ­ing those affect­ed by a shrink­ing wood prod­ucts indus­try. In the ear­ly 1980s, food banks in the US and Cana­da were estab­lished to respond to this cri­sis. Many start­ed with the inten­tion of being a tem­po­rary response. This was the back­drop to our food bank’s beginnings. 

Facts On
Food Insecurity

1 in 8 families in America are hungry

That’s 12.3% of all U.S. households, including what economists call the working poor, who earn about $25,000 a year for a family of four. Out of that estimated $2,017 a month, families need to pay for housing, utilities, child care, transportation, health care and groceries.