North Valley Foodbank Executive Director Sophie Albert is standing in what looks like a grocery store.
“We’re the only foodbank in the area that does not have eligibility requirements, anyone is welcome,” she says.
People coming in grab a cart and can shop the makeshift aisles or the produce section.
Albert says the cost to fill these shelves was $200,000 more expensive over the past year.
“That is a mix of having to buy more food because we’re seeing more customers, but also food costs going up for the food we buy.”
Foodbanks nationwide are getting less food from a federal program because of funding cuts. At the same time, enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has dropped by 9% in Montana. That’s according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Albert says new SNAP rules have made it harder to stay in the program. That means more people are turning to the food bank for services.
Albert says her team has been able to keep up with growing costs and demand so far.
“But I’m definitely concerned that if we go higher in food costs and if customers increase further, we will not be able to keep up.”
Albert says that’s only going to get harder as the busy fall season approaches.
