Generosity, adaptation help Montana food banks meet holiday needs

Like many organizations in Montana, the state's largest food bank has struggled with labor shortages, making it difficult to get a precise count of people using its services, said Billings Food Bank CEO Sheryle Shandy. Anecdotally, though, she said she's noticed the organization's clientele has shifted since the pandemic's start.

Before COVID-19, Billings Food Bank's clients were roughly evenly divided into three age groups: 18 and younger, between 19 and 59, and 60 and older. Since the pandemic's start, the food bank has served more people in that middle category, Shandy said.

"We're seeing a...