Listen to this article
Volunteers bring food into the community in Billings
Each evening in Billings, Montana, two vans depart from The Salvation Army corps and head into neighborhoods across the city, delivering meals to people who might otherwise go hungry.
When Salvation Army brass band music and hymns begin to play from the van at each stop, neighbors line up, knowing dinner has arrived. Within minutes, as many as 25 people per stop receive their free meals before the vans move onto the next location.
The evening delivery routes are part of The Salvation Army’s meal program in Billings, which distributes an average of 300 meals each night, five days a week, across the community.
On busy occasions, they’ve prepared and delivered as many as 600 meals in one day.
Throughout the route, the vans stop at 20 different locations, including apartment complexes, hotels and senior housing communities, reaching individuals and families who may face barriers to accessing balanced meals on their own.
“We’re serving a variety of folks,” said Billings Corps Officer Captain Colin Pederson. “Some stops reach people experiencing homelessness, some are at hotels where residents don’t have kitchens, and several are people living in disability housing.”
Across the state, the need for balanced meals remains significant, with an estimated 1 in 8 Montanans experiencing food insecurity, according to the Montana Food Bank Network.
Even as Montana’s largest city, Billings spans a wide geographic area, with agricultural land separating neighborhoods by miles, and some residents living more than 10 miles from the nearest grocery store.
“We don’t always fully know what someone might be going through, but if we can make sure they have something to eat at the end of the day, that matters.”
Captain Colin Pederson
“We’re a spread-out community,” Pederson said. “There are people all across Billings who need support—not everyone has easy access to food.”
Helping meet that need relies on teams of volunteers—some who prepare and pack meals at the corps, and others who drive the vans and distribute food along the routes.
“Our meal program is one of the biggest ways volunteers serve here,” Pederson said. “They’re essential to the entire operation.”
He noted that once the food is cooked at the corps, around five volunteers come in a day to package the meals and prepare them for delivery.
Dinners often feature foods that can be easily reheated, such as pasta, rice dishes and other simple, hearty options.
“We keep in mind what can be made in large batches and what poses the fewest dietary restrictions,” Pederson said. “It may be a simple meal, but for many people it means knowing someone is thinking about them.”
As meal preparation wraps up each evening, volunteers load the food into vans and set out on the evening routes across Billings.
One volunteer delivery driver, Jack Klein, said the deliveries often bring small moments of connection along with a meal.
“Over time, you start to recognize people,” Klein said. “You see the same faces week after week, and it feels good to know we’re part of the reason they have dinner.”
Klein said he began volunteering after hearing about the opportunity from his father-in-law, who served as a meal delivery driver at the Billings Corps for six years. When he retired and stepped back from the role, Klein said it felt natural to step in and continue the work.
“He talked about the value of this program over the years,” Klein said. “When he retired from driving, it felt like a good way to continue something he cared about.”
Today, Klein drives the van a few nights a week, ensuring meals reach people waiting along the delivery route.
He noted that the busy schedule leaves only about 15 minutes at each stop, but volunteers still take time to greet people and check in when they can.
“You get to know people a little bit,” Klein said. “Sometimes it’s just a quick hello, but it’s nice to follow up and see how they’re doing.”
He recalled one man who often waits outside before they arrive.
“He looks forward to the social interaction,” Klein said. “He gives us updates about what he’s going through, about his family, and we’re happy to listen.”
Moments like that, Klein said, remind him and the other volunteers that they can do more than deliver a meal.
“It may be some of the only social interaction they have for the day, so we want to make it count,” he said, adding they also inform clients about Salvation Army programs, resources and church services.
Pederson said that although the corps operates an in-person food pantry, delivering meals into neighborhoods reflects The Salvation Army’s mission of meeting people where they are.
“We don’t always fully know what someone might be going through,” Pederson said. “But if we can make sure they have something to eat at the end of the day, that matters.”
Do Good:
- Start your day with goodness. Get on the list for Good Words from the Good Word and get a boost of inspiration in 1 minute a day with a daily affirmation from Scripture sent straight to your inbox. A pep-talk for the day. A boost of inspiration and comfort. A bit of encouragement when you need it. Get on the list and start receiving what you need today.
Download this page as a PDF
