Great Plains Food Bank Gets Ready to Fight Hunger This Holiday Season

The food bank in Fargo got a big boost courtesy of a $60,000 donation from Hornbacher's

FARGO, N.D. — Having a good holiday dinner with friends and family is something some people take for granted.

But for some in the area, having a quality holiday meal is sometimes hard to come by.

“We definitely see a spike in demand. With cold weather coming in, we see thousands of people donating food, money, and other supplies. They too understand that the need is really great this time of year, and our community is so great about pitching in,” said Steve Sellent, the CEO of the Great Plains Food Bank.

Holiday meals including turkey and pumpkin pie are just some of the highly–sought items for the Food Bank.

Some groups do their part to help alleviate some of the demand.

“Our partner food pantry, shelter, and soup kitchens like to do something special for the holidays; a Thanksgiving box or a Christmas box, or a holiday meal, so we try to meet the needs for that as well,” said Sellent.

Due to the increased population as well as more communities to serve, Great Plains Food Bank relies on cash donations from organizations like Hornbacher’s to help more people in need.

Great Plains recently received $60,000 from Hornbacher’s, and is set to receive more assistance through the grocery chain’s “Feed Hope” campaign this winter.

“We’ll invite our customers to donate to the Great Plains Food Bank, and it’s really a great time of year because it really helps out for those extra added meals throughout the holiday to make sure everyone can have that special meal with their family. We really need to stand up for hunger and make sure we’re partnering with the Great Plains Food Bank to help everyone in our community,” said Matt Leiseth, the President of Hornbacher’s.

With more chances to serve a smile to a family this winter, Sellent says he loves how the community rallies together to fight hunger.

“People are really generous during Thanksgiving and the holidays, and a significant amount of our support that covers our operations throughout the year does come in during the holiday season,” said Sellent.

With their $60,000 donation today, Hornbacher’s has provided Great Plains with an additional 182 meals that can be served to those less fortunate.