Food uncertainty drives more people to seek help on Thanksgiving

FARGO, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — Days before Thanksgiving, volunteers at the Dream Center in Bismarck were busy prepping 40 turkeys for a holiday meal.

Last year, the meal ministry served 500 Thanksgiving meals. This year, founder and executive director Jim Barnhardt anticipates more than 600 people will walk in for a sit-down dinner.

“We try to make food access very easy for people,” he said. “We see a lot of younger families and seniors who are trying to stretch their budgets. This is one way we can help.”

Communities across the state are seeing a growing need for food assistance this holiday season.

Reasons for the increased need vary, according to community and faith leaders who are finding ways to address food insecurity. Some families and individuals are catching up financially after the federal government shutdown postponed federal food assistance payments in November. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget.

Others are challenged by the growing cost of groceries.

Still others are stressed by the need to prepare for this time of year. Colder weather means the cost of winter coats and heating bills. Christmas means gifts and more celebrations.

It’s one reason the Dream Center will keep its food pantry open on Thanksgiving while the turkey dinner is being served.

“We know going into the holiday season, a lot of people are trying to catch up and save money to buy some of the other things they need,” Barnhardt said. “A free meal or groceries makes a difference.”

Community Action Partnership in Minot has handed out Thanksgiving baskets for several years. This year, they distributed 30 baskets filled with a turkey and a $50 gift certificate. The priority is families the partnership has helped throughout the year.

That said, the organization could’ve handed out to more families but was limited by funding, said Willy Soderholm, executive director.

“We’re seeing more and more requests,” he said. “Over the last year or so, I’ve noticed a lot more need for food assistance. Food is expensive.”

In Fargo, Calvary United Methodist is one of several churches offering Thanksgiving meals and baskets for the holiday. Church leadership reached out to Fargo and West Fargo schools to identify families who might benefit.

Calvary planned for 250 meals and opened registration on Nov. 3.

By noon, all the meals were claimed and the church decided to offer an additional 50 meals.

“There’s a big need out there in the community,” said the Rev. Rey Colón, Calvary’s senior pastor. “We felt bad that we had to turn people away. Next year, we think we’ll double the amount.”

He and his staff think the government shutdown this fall drove people to sign up for a holiday meal. When registration opened in early November, the fate of SNAP benefits were uncertain. But even once federal food assistance was issued, the need for food remained.

“If you have a family of five, you might spend half of your food assistance for the month on one (Thanksgiving) meal,” he said. “It’s hard to justify that.”

Lyn Dockter-Pinnick of Red River United Indivisible serves dessert Nov. 15, 2025, at a free community meal in Moorhead, Minnesota, in support of families struggling to meet rising prices. A coalition of Fargo-Moorhead organizations is providing the community meals on Saturdays in November at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Moorhead. (Photo by Dan Koeck/For the North Dakota Monitor)

When Red River United Indivisible became aware that federal food assistance could be frozen, its members decided to host community meals every Saturday in November. One week volunteers served hotdishes and desserts to anyone who came to the basement of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Leftovers were packaged and distributed in downtown Fargo.

“We recognize that the price of groceries is going up and that SNAP benefits are no longer certain,” said Lyn Docter-Pinnick. “Families are struggling and a warm meal can make a difference.”

In Grand Forks, the Northlands Rescue Mission is preparing to deliver over 2,000 meals on Thanksgiving morning. Cooking started the weekend before and 25 volunteers were expected to deliver the meals to those who signed up until the day before Thanksgiving.

The fully cooked meals include turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, buns, a vegetable and pie.

“It’s all hands on deck,” said Elaina Wickman, interim director at the mission. “Most of our staff volunteers on Thanksgiving. My whole family is involved. It’s quite a process.”

The mission typically distributes 60 food boxes every Tuesday and Friday to people who are food insecure, Wickman said. On the first Tuesday in November after food stamps were suspended, staff handed out over 100 food boxes – a record for the organization.

Federal food assistance has returned, but Wickman observes that people are worried.

“They don’t know what might happen in the future, so I’m seeing more people making decisions ‘just in case,’” she said.

Article written by Erin Hemme Froslie