because help is needed
Community Supported
Volunteer Based
Client Focused
About Bismarck Emergency Food Pantry
Our Mission & Organizational Structure
Our mission is to provide food assistance and support to those in need in our community. We believe that no one should go hungry and we strive to make a positive impact on the lives of those we serve.
- Incorporated under the laws of North Dakota
- Granted federal income tax exemption status
- Granted a North Dakota charitable solicitation license
- Registered as a grant-seeking entity with the US government
- Administered by an elected and unpaid board of directors.
- Operated entirely by volunteer staff
- Food storage kept in accordance with regulations by the ND State Health Inspector.
- Records kept in accordance with current standards of accounting and financial reporting
- Audited annually by an independent certified accountant
Our History
Bismarck Emergency Food Pantry originated out of a Community Services Administration grant to the Community Action Program, Region VII, to establish a community-based emergency food system. Funding began in December 1977 and ended in June 1978. A steering committee was formed in October 1978 to keep the pantry stocked. Committee members contacted Bismarck area churches, organizations, and citizens to seek donations of food and money. The pantry became an independent non-profit agency in June 1979. The pantry has changed locations several times since inception.
Our Recent Accomplishments
- Our partnership with Great Plains Food Bank significantly changed and improved both quality and quantity of food we have available to us, all at a lower cost compared to how we operated before our partnership. As a result, we were able to change our return policy from 90 days to 30 days.
- We moved to our new location in 2021, increasing our visibility in the community.
- We now use a free client database; and thanks to a grant from Midco, we were able to purchase computer equipment.
About our Volunteers
Our Volunteers
Much of our volunteer work requires the ability to move freely, walk, stand for long periods of time, bend, reach, and lift up to 30 pounds. These tasks include: receiving deliveries, stocking shelves, packing bags and boxes of food, sorting though donations to check expiration dates, and some cleaning duties. Some volunteers work as food runners (picking up orders and delivering them to the pantry) on a "call as needed" basis.
Some volunteer work is less physically demanding. These tasks include: interviewing clients, software data entry, writing thank you notes to donors, tracking inventory and placing food orders, managing our social media and website, and fundraising efforts.
We have two teams who work regularly. Most volunteers work in one area, some volunteers float around and work where most needed, and other volunteers work only as substitutes when our regular volunteers are unavailable.
Gate City Bank Volunteers
We can always count on the gang at GATE CITY BANK to help us with our monthly food order from Great Plains Food Bank!
They get the work done and they make it fun!!
Starion Bank Volunteers
The fine folks at STARION BANK come every month to pre-pack bags and boxes of canned goods for us. Their help makes a difference!
Interested in Volunteering?
Volunteers Are Always Appreciated!
Contact us at (701) 258-9188 or via Facebook Messenger.
Our volunteer coordinator will chat with you about ways and days
you can help.
Can't volunteer but still want to help?
Support our work
Give online via Network for Good, or
Mail checks to:
1012 South 12th Street, Bismarck, ND 58504
Different ways you can help
- Organize a restaurant fundraiser. Many restaurants will donate a percentage of their profits to the charity of your choice. Contact local restaurants to learn more.
- Organize a food drive competition at your school or workplace. In recent years, a local school collected boxes of cereal and set them up throughout the school hallways to demonstrate the domino effect. Once the fun was over, the cereal boxes were packed and brought to the food pantry.
- Organize a fundraising competition in your office or in your social club. For several years, local banks have organized an annual competition (for both food and funds). City and state government departments have also competed against each other to collect food and raise funds for our food pantry.
- Organize a benefit concert, comedy night, or other food drive event at your church or social club. One of our local churches holds a Super Bowl event every year and collects soup for our pantry. Several other churches or clubs have collected and donated food.
- Organize a neighborhood food drive. One neighborhood holds a trick-or-treat food collection every Halloween and brings loads of food to the pantry. Pairing a food drive with a neighborhood block party is another idea.
- Organize or participate in health-related events (yoga in the orchard, walk-a-thons, bike races, hikes, etc) that raise money for local non-profit organizations like us.
- Convince a group of friends to volunteer for the Bismarck Marathon. For every volunteer, the Bismarck Marathon will donate $25 to an organization of your choice. See their website for details.
- Join family or friends and plant a garden. Then share the produce with us or other local food pantries. Or, if you have fruit bearing trees in your yard, don't let it go to waste! Share!
- A service project for kids is putting together birthday bags for the children of our clients. Include a box of cake mix, a tub of frosting, candles, and a blank birthday card. You can add other goodies if you wish. Fun and easy! And our clients really appreciate this kind gesture.
Check out other resources... because food insecurity is NEVER an isolated issue.
Contact Us
Better yet, see us in person!
Hours
Open today | 01:00 pm – 04:00 pm |
