RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2025
There’s wide consensus that hungry children struggle to learn. That is why the GFPS Foundation has remained committed to addressing food insecurity for over a decade.
Of the nearly 10,000 students in the Great Falls Public Schools district, over three percent are homeless and 49 percent qualify for free and reduced lunch. The needs are so widespread that every school in the district has a food pantry. Since the establishment of the food pantry program, the District has turned to the Foundation and its generous donors for support.
As one might expect, a huge increase in need was experienced during the pandemic, but even that fell short of what was observed and provided through the food pantries during the 2023-2024 school year. The cost of food items continues to rise and many families struggle to make ends meet, which adversely affects student learning in our schools.
Since 2012, the Foundation has directed over $500,000 to cover food items for students. In this 2024-2025 school year alone, over $40,000 has been directed to this need, in addition to continuing to fund the DPHHS licenses that are required for each school food pantry to operate.
The Foundation has shifted to a new funding model this academic year to increase long-term sustainability of the program and offer greater stability for schools to individually organize and plan.
Donor funding is made available in two allotments during the school year. The District determines the allocations across schools based on poverty level and usage. These
funds are held in accounts for each school at the Great Falls Community Food Bank where volunteers source their requested pantry items at a deeply discounted rate.
The Foundation’s biannual disbursement of funding provides schools with predictable base funding that allows them to plan for the school year. These budgeted amounts offer a sense of security while minimizing the urgency that can often be associated with immediate needs like food insecurity. The Foundation is proud to partner with its donors to secure funding that offers stability to our schools in this critical area.
Community awareness has increased in the past year, and many people have stepped up to meet the need through food drives and school-specific donations directly to the food bank. The Foundation’s focus continues to be providing a sustainable and predictable amount of funding each year for all students in all schools.
We ask community members to thoughtfully consider joining us in this effort. Individuals or businesses can donate to particular schools or to the general food pantry program so all students in all schools can enjoy the benefits of their generosity.
Donations can be made at www.gfpsfoundation.org or by check to GFPS Foundation, Attn: Stephanie Becker at PO Box 2429, Great Falls, MT 59403.
Your support expresses our shared understanding that the success of these students in school is critical to their own future, as well as that of our community.