HRDC @ Market Place Is Now Open to the Public
Wednesday Dec. 20th, 2023
This new facility greatly improves HRDC’s ability to meet customer needs more efficiently and effectively.
Located the Community Commons at 206 E. Griffin Drive, HRDC opened its doors at Market Place on Monday, December 11, to provide food and nutrition support, along with many other supportive services, to community members who are struggling to make ends meet.
Market Place was developed out of a broader strategy to provide services from a single, purpose- designed location while at the same time improving operational efficiency. Whether individuals and households are facing food or housing insecurity, need assistance with their energy bills, wish to register their children for preschool, or wish to access senior services, all this and more is now possible during one visit to HRDC.
Heather Grenier, HRDC’s President and CEO, recently shared her gratitude for the community-wide backing Market Place has received, “We are incredibly grateful for the generous supporters of HRDC’s Community Commons Capital Campaign. As we begin this new chapter, we remain humbled by the work that we do, the people that we serve, and the community we are so fortunate to be part of.”
As the service hub for HRDC, Market Place now houses HRDC’s pay-what-you-can Fork & Spoon restaurant which is open to the public for evening dinner service and offers a well-stocked freezer full of popular take-and-bake meals as well as catering services. The restaurant’s commercial kitchen features all the essential features of a modern restaurant and is available to rent after hours for food production businesses. Through the main entrance of the building, a spacious reception area greets incoming guests and includes private customer meeting rooms, a workstation with public computers, and an inviting children’s area. Also sharing space on the main floor of the building is HRDC’s Gallatin Valley Food Bank, a market like any other where shoppers roam freely with their carts as they select from fresh produce, meats, and dairy items, as well as shelves filled with a wide selection of nonperishable items. Rounding out the main floor is a regional food warehouse designed to support numerous food banks while also providing plentiful storage for emergency situations.
The upstairs houses HRDC’s staff and features a community kitchen within a large meeting room designed for teaching cooking and nutrition classes. In addition to serving HRDC’s customers, this space will be made available for use by many of HRDC’s partner organizations across Gallatin Valley.
“I’m so excited to be part of the team that helped steward this project through every stage of its design and construction. Our community is going to benefit greatly for decades to come with the significant boost this facility provides us in our efforts to combat hunger in Gallatin Valley and beyond,” said Jill Holder, Food and Nutrition Director for HRDC.
Market Place is a no-barrier facility, and all are welcome through its doors — including to enjoy evening meals together at Fork & Spoon restaurant. Community members who need help are encouraged to learn more about HRDC’s services, and those who wish to help are encouraged to sign up to volunteer their time or to make a financial donation to help ensure everyone in our community is supported as they seek to achieve stability in their lives.
As a private, not-for-profit Community Action Organization focused on building a better community through its nearly 50 initiatives, HRDC combats poverty in southwestern 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/
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