STORIES OF HOPE
At the Great Plains Food Bank, we believe that no one should go hungry.
Each dollar or food item donated or volunteer hours generously given has an incredible impact on the more than 102,000 we serve each year. Here are just a few of their stories.
Cassie Scheiman
Shortly after World War I, North Dakota became the summer home for many migrant families. The sugar beet industry in ND in part, became successful because of the efforts of
Allan Wolf
One in six North Dakotans wake up each morning facing hunger, just like 68-year-old Marine Corp Veteran and grandfather of three, Allan Wolf. Allan is currently an over-the-road truck driver
Preparing for the future
Carlos Sanchez and his two-year-old daughter Amara patiently waited their turn to go through the line and get the food they needed at Ministry on the Margins in Bismarck. It
Teresa Van Deusen
As part of Hunger in North Dakota 2018, a comprehensive study of Great Plains Food Bank clients and partners, more than 500 clients in need of food assistance were asked
Catherine Thomas
Catherine Thomas lives in a small community near Center, N.D., where she has limited access to food assistance. The 75-year-old has been doing the best she can on her own
Drew
Volatility in the markets and making ends meet at times can be difficult in the agricultural industry. Drew and his wife experienced this firsthand a few years ago. When the
Ella Schrock
With five kids all under the age of 18 living at home, Ella Schrock and her husband Melvin have no issues remaining busy. And unfortunately, much of Ella’s time is
Yvonne Schmidt
Stops at the Spirit of Life Food Pantry in Mandan, a partner agency of the Great Plains Food Bank, is a weekly occurrence for Yvonne Schmidt. The stops are out
Sherri Farrington
Sherri Farrington visited a recent stop of the Great Plains Food Bank Mobile Food Pantry in Hazen with a lot on her mind. Her first priority was doing what she
Adam Rodriguez
Winter took a toll on Adam Rodriguez when he slipped and fell on an icy patch. The fall tore up his shoulder forcing him onto disability as he recovered from
Finding a new security system
Charlotte Eide is a mom of four children all under the age of 11. With so many mouths to feed, she works hard along with her husband to supply the
Barilynn Everett
Barilynn recently visited a mobile food pantry stop in Twin Buttes to get food for her and her family, which also consists of her mother Heidi and her brother Byron.
Raven Heart
One thing Raven Heart hopes she never has to encounter is to be paid a visit from her 15 grandchildren and she has no food for them. When things get
Tobi Morgenstern
Tobi Morgenstern stopped by the Great Plains Food Bank Mobile Food Pantry at a recent stop in Beulah with her two youngest children. They were there to get food for
Jenae Bowen
Jenae Bowen patiently waited in line outside the Epworth United Methodist Church in Valley City while holding her 11-month-old son, Erick. The line of cars filled the majority of the
Norma Voltz
It was the first time 86-year-old Norma Voltz needed food assistance when she visited the Great Plains Food Bank Mobile Food Pantry when it stopped in Dodge. A close-knit family that includes her brothers, children, grand children and great grand children, they all experienced difficult times when Norma’s daughter suffered a serious accident. Assistance from the Mobile Food Pantry helped to provide food for two weeks at a much needed time.
Kasandra Brody
Kasandra’s heart was heavy on her first visit to Ministry on the Margins in Bismarck, a partner agency of the Great Plains Food Bank, as she mourned the recent passing of the father of her seven-year-old daughter, Justice. Now maneuvering through life’s challenges as a single mother, she has relied on food assistance to help the young family get by. It’s difficult for her to imagine the situation they would be in without the help.
Dustin Erhart
Dustin Erhart makes his $700 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment last as long as he is able, but typically comes up short most months attempting the feed himself and his 17-year-old son, Gage. The single father has found a needed resource at Ministry on the Margins in Bismarck, a partner agency of the Great Plains Food Bank.
Joddie Samelson
Joddie Samelson (shown left) appreciates the assistance of her son Matt (shown right) when she visits the Kidder County Food Pantry in Steele each month. Following a stroke, Joddie no longer has use of her right arm so the extra help is needed. Living on a fixed income, the food she receives through this Great Plains Food Bank partner agency can last her three weeks and she doesn’t know what she would do if it wasn’t an option.
Phyllis Bauer and Dennis Hickman
Through a number of different circumstances, neighbors Phyllis Bauer and Dennis Hickman have formed a bond. A part of that friendship includes traveling together to the Great Plains Food Bank Mobile Food Pantry when it stops in Milnor. The food they are able to receive there lasts each of them a month and has helped Phyllis fill a void after her husband passed away last year.