PROJECT HOPE OF COLUMBUS
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Mission Statement
To sow seeds of hope in Stillwater County, Montana
About This Cause
Prior to 2000, the county food bank was literally operated out of a closet, and could only serve a handful of people. Seeing the need for a more spacious and sustainable food bank, Mary Kuehn founded Project Hope. The original location, located on Columbus’s Main Street, had a small pantry in the back and a thrift store in the front, the proceeds of which helped to fund grocery purchases. Local churches, businesses, and individuals gave us their generous support, and our ability to serve the county continued to grow. After several years, Project Hope moved to a new building with the help of a USDA Rural Development loan. This different and current location allowed both the food bank and thrift store to dramatically expand their storage and their ability to serve more people. A sister store, Laughing Ladies, also opened next door to Project Hope, which sells donated and consigned antiques whose proceeds go back to the food bank. Today, our thrift store serves 75 to 100 customers daily, and we provide about 65 food boxes each month. In addition to food boxes, our outreach includes school supplies and shoes, winter coats, Angel Tree Christmas gifts, weekend Backpack meals, and emergency financial assistance on a case-by-case basis. We also spread hope and cheer through Valentine’s cards and May Day baskets for seniors and shut-ins and Kids’ Christmas Shopping Day for elementary school students. About 150 families (399 individuals) across Stillwater County received food from our regular monthly food boxes in 2017. We expect to distribute over 35,000 pounds of food in 2018.