Bozeman Magazine

Whole Foods Market is hosting a “Stuff the Van” event for HRDC’s Gallatin Valley Food Bank. In addition to Whole Foods Market donating a new van through their program, Nourishing Our Neighborhoods, to help HRDC with its food rescue program, they have collected a variety of donated pantry items to help restock the food bank’s shelves. Whole Foods Market team members are planning to stuff the new van to the brim to help support community members who are experiencing food insecurity. Gallatin Valley Food Bank staff will be on-site to help stuff the van and to collect the food.

When: ​​Tuesday, July 11th from 1:00 – 2:00 pm

Where: ​Whole Foods Market, 2905 West Main Street, Bozeman

“We are grateful for our partnership with HRDC and are very excited to help them continue to bring rescued foods to those in need in the Bozeman community,” said Kate Hensley Luna, Whole Foods Market Store Team Leader. “Not only will this van support nourishing people in and around the Bozeman area, but it will also help further reduce food waste in the community.”

In response, HRDC’s Gallatin Valley Food Bank Food Rescue Coordinator, Mathia Jacobson, said,“Whole Foods has jumped right in to join our community. Before they even opened their Bozeman store, we were rescuing food with their support. To date, we’ve gathered over 36,000 pounds of food from Whole Foods since the end of January. This refrigerated van will help our aging fleet bring in the nearly one million pounds of rescued food it takes to serve our community annually. We are so grateful!”  

Whole Foods Market launched Nourishing Our Neighborhoods in September 2020 and has donated over 30 refrigerated vans to food rescue partners to transport food to communities across the US and Canada. These food rescue partners participate in the company’s Grocery Rescue Program – picking up food from their stores weekly and redistributing it to feed neighbors fresh, high-quality food as quickly as possible. To learn more, please visit https://wholestory.wholefoodsmarket.com/nourishing-our-backyard/.

HRDC’s Gallatin Valley Food Bank provides local support for local families and functions as a critical link between food and the people who need it. The food bank’s mission is to improve food security throughout Southwest Montana. Nutrition is vital for everyone in our community, and we serve anyone who needs help stretching their food budget.

As a private, not-for-profit Community Action Organization focused on building a better community through its nearly 50 initiatives, including the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, HRDC combats poverty across Southwest Montana and believes everyone deserves the opportunity to be financially stable. Donors, volunteers, and community members can find out what we have in common at https://thehrdc.org/