Navigating Solutions with David Heffner | Making Thanksgiving Dinner for Missoula
This month’s blog is written by David Heffner, Food Programs Manager
We often compare the Poverello Center kitchen to a game of “Chopped.” Just like the popular TV challenge show, our kitchen team starts each day with a haul of seemingly random ingredients, the vast majority of it donated from local grocery stores and community partners. Our job is to parse through the food we have and create a filling, nutritious meal that also tastes delicious.
Unlike the television show, we are not building just a few plates: we’re making hot meals and sack lunches for hundreds of people every day.
The goal of our food program is to make sure that all of our neighbors have access to food – that means we feed anyone who comes through our doors, from staff and volunteers to community members on a lunch break, or a family who didn’t have enough food at home at the end of the month. For people whose schedules do not align with our meal times, or who cannot stay in shelter, we provide full, balanced sack lunches.
At the Poverello Center, we believe good food makes a real difference. When the organization was founded in 1974, it was solely a soup kitchen. In the years that have followed, we’ve grown into shelter and outreach, but we’ve never forgotten the importance of nutrition and warmth. Every day, I watch as people go through our lunch line and load up on our usual specials: chili, curry, fruit and vegetables, and always a dessert option at the end.
The first weeks of November this year brought big challenges: our lunch lines were long, and our food pantry was bare at the end of the night. The pause in SNAP funding meant that more people in Missoula were food insecure, and needed a way to make their budget stretch. I’m proud of our team for being part of the network of support that kept Missoulians afloat, but we are facing the same struggles that households are. Costs are rising, donations are shrinking, and the future is uncertain.
But through everything, we will continue feeding our community. This Thanksgiving, we served 55 turkeys and 400 pounds of mashed potatoes. People came back for seconds, ate until they were more than full, and felt at home.
We know that a single meal cannot solve the profound and complex challenges of homelessness, mental health, or addiction. We don’t pretend to have the solution. But we do know this: when someone eats in my kitchen, they are home. They are welcomed, valued, and loved. A meal may not erase the hardship of a lifetime, but it can turn a day of pain into a day of comfort — and remind our neighbors that they matter.
And none of this happens alone. Every turkey carved, every scoop of potatoes, every smile exchanged came from a community that refuses to look away. These meals are powered by people who believe that compassion is not optional, and that together, we can make sure no one in Missoula is left behind.
To support our food programs and make a difference for neighbors in need, please consider donating or volunteering. Every contribution, big or small, helps keep our kitchen humming and our doors open to anyone who needs a hot meal or a moment of comfort. And if you ever need a meal in Missoula, please come and eat. There will always be a seat for you at our table.