Category: Uncategorized

Gardening has been a part of Harka Maya Monger’s life since birth in the country of Buhtan. Now the low-income family of five lives in Fargo where Harka’s local community garden has allowed her to continue gardening. This along with assistance from a Great Plains Food Bank partner food pantry allows the family the nutrition they need.

Financially, Tayla Henry was comfortable and able to provide for her two young kids. But that all changed the day her children’s father moved out and the now single mom struggled with food insecurity. She soon found a supplement for the loss of meals at the Emergency Food Pantry in Fargo, a partner agency of the Great Plains Food Bank.

Midway Public School serves a number of rural communities in east-central North Dakota. Many of its students and their families need to travel more than 20 miles to visit a grocery store. The addition of a school pantry has helped Midway fill a need for many of its students.

Due to difficult circumstances, Stephanie Ballou cares for three of her grandchildren and they are quick to understand that, “grandma doesn’t have enough money right now.” Thanks to her nearest Great Plains Food Bank partner food pantry, she is able to provide healthy food options for her grand kids.

Ashley Brager does everything she can to help her 5-year-old son with autism not cry out over hunger. There is no worse sound in the world as far as Ashley is concerned. While struggling with mental health issues herself, when times are difficult she finds needed resources within a pair of Great Plains Food Bank partner food pantries to help the young family get by.

Donna Ricker has been the primary caregiver for her daughter, Jodahna, who is stricken with spastic cerebral palsy, for nearly four decades. For assistance through years of difficult times, the two have utilized the Great Plains Food Bank partner agency network for help. And they remained thankful for all that they have to this day.

Each weekday you can find Arge Laddusaw volunteering at the Emergency Food Pantry in Fargo, a partner agency of the Great Plains Food Bank. Forced into retirement due to health reasons and with a Social Security and SNAP payment that only takes him so far, Arge also visits the Emergency Food Pantry to receive needed food assistance. Spending time volunteering is his way of giving back.

Amanda Jackson knows the feeling of being homeless all too well. That feeling is compounded when attempting to offer a life of opportunity for her nine-year-old daughter, who struggles with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). But despite struggles that would break a lot of families, Amanda and her daughter, Kylen, remain positive saying simply, “what else can you do?”

Life hasn’t always been as steady as it is right now for Barbara Villella and due to a series of unfortunate events in her past, she knows that she is always one paycheck away from needing food assistance again. She now spends a lot of her time at the Prairie Roots Food Co-op advocating for healthy food options for those in need.

Julie Herbel works as a librarian at the New Town Public Library. She noticed many children were coming in hungry after school each day and wished to do something about it. But she struggled to find the healthy food options she desired. The Great Plains Food Bank Pop-up Perishable Food Program has provided those resources and has helped fill a critical need for hungry children in New Town.