Missions

Bridges Backpack Food Program 

We believe that when a child is fed, they are equipped to learn, grow, and imagine a future filled with opportunity. Childhood hunger has an impact on our communities. During the school year, more than 33,000 children across North Dakota qualify for and greatly rely on the federal free and reduced lunch program to meet their daily nutritional needs. Nearly two-fifths of Valley City students qualify for the free or reduced lunch program. On weekends, many of these children struggle with hunger. One of the components of the BBP is to provide weekend food in the backpacks of school children in need. Each week, volunteers distribute food to the schools in Valley City. The food is then given discretely to children who are food insecure and who probably wouldn’t receive adequate nutrition over the weekend if it weren’t for this program.

Christmas Shoeboxes 

The Christmas Shoebox project for the Children of the Harvest serves to assist the children of the Spirit Lake Nation Reservation along with other reservations in both North Dakota and South Dakota. Gifts are donated to children of all ages in hopes of making their Christmas holiday brighter by receiving a gift given in love from a stranger at a time when many of these children may receive nothing else but the shoebox gift. For more information about this ministry, please visit the Spirit Lake Ministry Center website.

Great Plains Food Bank

This mobile food pantry provides fresh vegetables, fruits, shelf-stable items, boxed goods, and more. Items are distributed out of crates and delivered directly to people in need. Distributions are set up as a drive-through where clients are able to stay in their cars and items are placed directly inside their vehicles. All in need of food assistance are welcome to come and receive food at no cost! A short intake form is filled out onsite; no pre-registration or referrals required.

Started 40 years ago, GPFB is North Dakota’s only food bank that recovers food that otherwise would go to waste from a range of food-industry partners. Through its programs and services, GPFB distributes food to those in need throughout North Dakota and Clay County, Minn.