Gretchen Boyer’s eyes light up.

“We have a floor jack!” she exclaims.

A floor jack might not seem like a big deal, but for the staff at Land to Hand, having a floor jack means they don’t have to manually unload and then reload pallets. They can just slip the floor jack under the pallet and move a couple hundred pounds of potatoes with ease, Boyer, the executive director, noted in a tour last week.

The Columbia Falls nonprofit has spent the last several months moving into its new space at the former Glacier Gateway Elementary School.

Land to Hand operates out of spaces at the north end of the building, including the former principal’s office and what used to be the Glacier Gateway library. The nonprofit is also restoring the commercial kitchen. The new space has new flooring, additional offices and other amenities designed to fulfill its mission of feeding young children and their families in a time of growing need.

The nonprofit started back in 2017 with Boyer working 20 hours a week on a budget of about $35,000. The nonprofit back then was called Farm Hand, Nourish the Flathead.

Today it has a budget of about $900,000 and seven full time staff.

During the pandemic need grew exponentially to feed children and less fortunate families in Columbia Falls and the Canyon area, and to educate people and kids about healthy foods and meals.

Land to Hand teamed up with the Columbia Falls Junior High a few years ago and took over operating the garden and orchard there, and one of the old Gateway outbuildings was moved over to the garden as an office.

The nonprofit also operates the school district’s backpack program, which sends home backpacks of food every weekend for students in need. The backpacks include foods the children can either eat, like fruit or raw carrots, or prepare themselves easily.

Right now, the organization serves about 400 families a week in a district where 65% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch, Boyer noted.

Local developer Mick Ruis bought the school from the school district and, in turn, donated the school to back to the Columbia Falls Kids Foundation, a 501(c) 3 that oversees the building, which also hosts a youth wrestling program, the Boys and Girls Club and a nonprofit daycare.

“(Ruis) did a huge service to this community donating the building,” Boyer said. She also commended Freedom Bank President Don Bennett for creating the Kids Foundation, which charges the nonprofits virtually no rent for the space.

Boyer said they would like to have the kitchen up and running soon so they can feed kids at the daycare and the club as well as teach cooking classes.

That should happen early next year.

In addition to the backpack program, the organization also hosts a Kids and Family Pantry, for families with school aged children.

It’s open the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from noon to 1 p.m. and Thursdays 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.

It’s proven especially popular with single moms with children who might not qualify for federal benefits, but are still trying to raise a family with high rents in Columbia Falls.

Thursdays offer a grab and go experience, with the ability to pick up something as simple as fresh fruits and vegetables to other staples, like applesauce. 

In addition, there is a community fridge at the junior high location that is open 24/7 to donate or take food.

But it doesn’t end there. The North Valley Food Bank is offering a mobile pantry the second and fourth Wednesday of month from noon to 1 p.m. The Columbia Falls Food bank is open Mondays from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Railroad Street.

Boyer said in addition to the food programs, they have plans to remodel the former principal’s office into a meeting room that can be used by other nonprofits. 

The nonprofit is also installing a new walk-in cooler near the entrance so they can store more perishable goods.

The nonprofit is almost completely funded through private donations and grants, most notably the Great Fish Challenge.

People can learn more at landtohand.org.

They are also currently having food drives at Glacier Bank, Parkside Credit Union, Freedom Bank and the high school.