Food Resource Center Sees Increase in Use, Seeking Donations

Twenty years ago, founding members of the Livingston Food Pantry of Park County recognized a need in the community for a place where people from all walks of life suffering from food insecurity could receive the resources they needed. A new location, located at 202 S. 2nd Street, became the current Livingston Food Resource Center (LFRC) in 2015. This year marks the tenth anniversary of serving Livingston and the surrounding rural communities of Park County.  

The LFRC is built around the mission to “Increase nutrition security and overall well-being in our community by addressing the root causes of hunger” states Executive Director Kaya Patten-Fusselman. Patten-Fusselman describes that, due to the complex, multi-dimensional nature of food insecurity, the center emphasizes increasing nutrition security rather than eliminating food insecurity by focusing on a variable within their control: enhancing the nutritional value of the food they are providing to the community.

The LFRC offers eleven different programs—ten food services and a counseling department. They run the onsite food pantry that clients can visit weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 5 pm. A monthly mobile food pantry serves the rural areas of Park County, including Emigrant, Wilsall and Clyde Park. The Pantry Supper Club delivers dinners throughout Livingston, Paradise Valley and Shields Valley, traveling over 4000 miles in 2024. 

Additionally, the Center collaborates with DPHHS of Montana to provide basic food items to people over the age of 60 living 130% below the federal poverty line. Other programs offered include the Farmers Market, which allows low-income families to access fresh produce through LFRC coupons and SNAP benefits. They also host a Thanksgiving Meal Basket program that provides ingredients for people to cook the holiday dinner at home. 

The LFRC also works closely with Livingston Public Schools to provide nutritious food for students. At the elementary level, the center partners with the Expedition Church to run Backpack Buddies, a program providing weekend and holiday food bags to students who rely on free and reduced school lunch services. Additionally, they operate satellite food pantries accessible to students at Sleeping Giant Middle School and Park High School. During summer vacation, nutritious lunches are provided to school-age children at both Sacajawea and Green Acres parks from Monday to Friday. Livingston’s Farm-to-School operates the G Street and Mars Park locations in partnership with the school district.

In tandem with their primary location, the LFRC also operates a bakery for their Kamut for Community Bread program. A grant awarded by the Steele-Reese Foundation allows the program to provide nutrient dense bread made from Montana grown wheat and Native grown Rocky Boy Kamut to local food pantries, and the Northern Cheyenne Agency and Crow Nation.

Patten-Fusselman explains that, because many underlying factors contribute to food insecurity, the Livingston Food Resource Center also provides free, on-site counseling to their clients. In-house counselor Julie Anderson, provides support during the difficult process of accessing social welfare programs like Medicaid, Disability, and SNAP. The counseling program is made possible with support from AMB West. 

In addition to providing food through their internal programs, the LFRC offers food to local organizations, including Aspen, L’esprit, the HDRC Warming Center, and others. The Center also collaborates with small businesses by renting their onsite commercial kitchen to 18 local businesses—Jackalope Provisions, Vickie’s Perogies, and Sweet Caroline’s, amongst others.

Over the past five years, the LFRC has seen a sharp increase in the number of households relying on their services—over 300 more than at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 2025, the LFRC is providing resources for an average of 548 households per month—up from 397 in 2023 and 210 in 2021, reflecting a 160% increase in service provisions. The center serves one in six people in Livingston and one in eight people throughout Park County. Of their clientele, one in three are seniors and one in five are youth. 

Patten-Fusselman describes the perfect storm: as clientele numbers continue rising, federal safety nets weaken. In response to the center losing 40% of the food they were receiving through The Federal Emergency Food Assistance Program, Patten-Fusselman expresses “hunger isn’t political; people should have access to enough food.” With the loss of federal funding and increased demand for their services, the LFRC is currently purchasing 62% of their food. In comparison, the Gallatin Valley Food Bank bought 11% of its food according to 2023-2024 fiscal year data. These factors have driven the LFRC into a continuous monetary deficit. They now more than ever rely on local donations to continue their services.

Support provided by the LFRC to the Livingston and Park County communities would not be possible without longstanding commitment from their board members, 186 volunteers, local donors and partnering organizations, including but not limited to AMB West, Park County Community Foundation, First Interstate Bank, Town & Country Foods, and Expedition Church.  

Patten-Fusselman says, “Thank you in particular to our major donors who chose to invest in the nutrition security of Park County.” 

Please consider donating to help support your Park County community. As the LFRC is a certified non-profit organization, all donations are tax deductible and greatly appreciated.

To learn more about food assistance and all other programs offered by LFRC, please call (406) 222-5335, visit https://livingstonfrc.org or stop by 202 S. 2nd Street in Livingston.