It is Monday, a month into the government shutdown and volunteers are stacking cans. The food pantry at Peace Lutheran Church in Billings is busy.
The week before, the pantry served 81 people in just two days over the 4 hours it was open. The pantry provided some 800 pounds of non-perishable food to those who came in need.
Bernie Mason, a former Yellowstone County Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent, heads the program.
“We have asked them if they are on food stamps,” explained Mason. “We ask them if they are getting food from other agencies. And we encourage them to do that. And then we check to see them how many people they are actually feeding.”
The pantry is open three days a week: Monday, Thursday and Friday. For the two hours on those day visitors get a plastic grocery bag to fill with whatever groceries will fit.
Some tell Mason they are feeding 10 people.
“We have some that are singles. We have a lot of grandparents that are raising grandchildren,” Mason commented.
The need keeps growing says Peace Lutheran’s pastor Seth Rumage.
“I’ve had probably 50 phone calls. And more than half of them have been people asking how they can help—how they can donate,” said Rumage.
It is not just food. They need help with rent, or their car has broken down and they need help paying for repairs.
“Sometimes people are just coming in. Life feels like it’s falling apart and they need some spiritual care as well,” Rumage added.
Peace Lutheran’s food pantry got its start 12 years ago as a way to address childhood hunger over the summer months when the Back-Park Meals program was not in operation.
That’s when Bernie Mason came on board. It became obvious very quickly that it was not just children who were going hungry.
“It was adults and we found that it was seniors that were coming and really needed the help,” said Mason.
Over the years food and financial support have come from the members of Peace Lutheran’s congregation as well as other churches, organizations and individuals.
The need will continue.
“I don’t see that need dissipating. It’s--we’re going to be serving a lot of people going forward,” reflected Pastor Seth Rumage.
