Land to Hand awarded $150,000 grant for programs to feed kids

Hungry Horse News

The Whitefish Community Foundation recently awarded a $150,000 multi-year Kids Fund Grant to Land to Hand to support their Kids and Family Pantry project in Columbia Falls.

Land to Hand is dedicated to building a strong community food system that fosters socially just ways of accessing food. In addition to growing and distributing food, Land to Hand ensures that seniors, school children and families with limited means have access to local and nutritious food. 

The Kids and Family Pantry will be in the old Glacier Gateway Elementary School building Whitefish Community Foundation’s Kids Fund Grant will help Land to Hand expand the Weekend Backpack Program for children, build a commercial kitchen for processing fresh food, and implement a “choice model” pantry where families can select items based on their specific dietary needs. 

“As we witness an increasing number of children facing food insecurity over the weekends, we recognized the urgent need for a more comprehensive solution,” Land to Hand Executive Director Gretchen Boyer said. “This transformative grant will allow us to significantly reduce the hunger gap within Columbia Falls schools, ensuring that more children have consistent access to nutritious food.” 

The Kids Fund was created in 2019 to support programs in the areas of health, safety and education that mitigate challenges and prevent local youth from becoming homeless. To date, Whitefish Community Foundation has awarded over $600,000 in Kids Fund grants to local nonprofit organizations, including Bigfork Aces, Flathead Youth Home, CASA for Kids, Child Bridge, Boys & Girls Club of Glacier Country, Nate Chute Foundation and Center for Restorative Youth Justice. 

“The Kids Fund was created to support programs that protect and uplift vulnerable youth, and Land to Hand’s work will provide children and families in Columbia Falls with reliable access to healthy food, meeting essential needs and advancing long-term solutions,” Whitefish Community Foundation President/CEO Alan Davis said. “By locating the Kids and Family Pantry alongside other youth-serving organizations, Land to Hand is helping create a shared space where families can access multiple layers of support and opportunity.” 

For more information visit whitefishcommunityfoundation.org/the-kids-fund/.