Montana Volunteers Save Food Bank $30 Per Hour in Labor

Volunteers at Montana's only statewide food bank aren't just helping pack rice and beans. They're saving the organization enough money to feed thousands more families across the state.

For over 40 years, the Montana Food Bank Network has fought hunger across Big Sky Country. But without volunteers, the mission would crumble under the weight of labor costs that would require impossible fundraising levels.

"We couldn't pay people to do this," said Adrienne Hopkins, MFBN Office Administrator. "That's an amount of fundraising we couldn't do."

The math tells the whole story. Each volunteer hour is valued at over $30, and when multiplied by hundreds or thousands of hours, the savings become substantial. That money goes directly into purchasing more food instead of paying for pre-bagged items.

The Ripple Effect

Michael Jarlund and Susan Debonis are regulars in the repack room, where 2,000-pound totes of rice get transformed into one-pound family portions. They work at their own pace, chatting with fellow volunteers while bagging food destined for pantries in towns like Alberton, where stretched budgets make even basic staples unaffordable.

"We're doing something to make a difference," Debonis said. "They may be way out in Montana, but at least we're helping."

The social benefits surprise many first-time volunteers. Debonis recently befriended someone half her age while measuring rice. Jarlund calls it "something for your soul," rejecting the idea that the physical work feels like labor.

The organization's September move to a new facility supercharged volunteer impact. The old repack room held just six people. The new space accommodates 14 volunteers at once, meaning groups no longer get turned away and production has skyrocketed.

"We've more than doubled our volunteer capacity," Hopkins said. "All that energy and goodwill goes further for our partner food banks, food pantries, and meal programs."

Those partner organizations across Montana benefit twice. They receive more pre-portioned food, and their own budgets stretch further because they're not buying expensive pre-packaged items. The ripple effect reaches families who can take home a one-pound bag of rice and make dinner that night without dipping into already tight grocery money.

Every morning when volunteers arrive, staff thank them for showing up. Hopkins says volunteers make the impossible possible, feeding neighbors near and far across one of America's largest states.