BILLINGS - Q2 is teaming up with Billings Family Service and MasterLube to kick of a massive fundraising and food drive on Thursday.
Our goal? $12,000 and 12,000 pounds of food in one day.
From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. we will be collecting non-perishable and not expired foods at MasterLube Billings and Laurel locations and downtown at the KTVQ studios.
You can drop off donations at four MasterLube locations:
1331 Main Street, Billings
1628 Grand Avenue, Billings
2424 King Avenue West, Billings
203 SE 4th Street, Laurel
And at KTVQ Studios: 3203 3rd Avenue North, Billings.
We will be accepting donations at these locations until 6pm.
First Interstate said that if any financial institutions get together or donate $2,000 they will match it again and up their donation from $2,000 to $4,000.
The drive is specifically looking for kid-friendly foods such as chicken noodle soup, cereal, granola bars and goldfish crackers.
“We want the children to know how special they are too and that they are not forgotten," said Billings Family Service Executive Director Stacy Brown.
Brown says when COVID-19 hit perhaps some of the hardest impacted by the pandemic are children.
Schools closed, and social distancing took away play-dates and even playgrounds were closed for safety reasons.
“This has been a hard time for them," said Brown. "Their whole lives have been completely turned upside down.”
Brown knows how meaningful a nutritious meal and even a comfortable snack can be for a child.
“To sit down and just be able to float their little goldfish in their cup of soup and to enjoy it and to know that somebody thought about them that they wanted to bring comfort to them, I hope that brings joy and smiles to their little faces," she said.
Billings Family Service is one of the longest serving nonprofit organizations in the state of Montana.
They’ve been helping families and children for over hundred years.
And we know the right meal can help a child’s mental and physical development, especially during COVID-19.
“They don’t have those friendships and that comradery that they’ve had before with their teachers and their school pals and so we just want them to know that we are thinking of them and we want them to have chicken noodle soup, and peanut butter and goldfish crackers and know that they’ve been through too,” said Brown.
She's hoping the community will come out and give those special items.
“And think of the moment," she said. "Be in the moment of the child when you g and buy food for them."
