Montana Veterans Meat Locker is a new charitable organization in Helena that works to help all veterans who are in need with frozen processed meat.
The Helena chapter of Montana Veterans Meat Locker opened in the summer of 2018 and has already provided 1,500 pounds of wild game and livestock meat to more than 150 families in the greater Helena area.
To qualify, a person only needs to show proof of their service or of their gold star family status.
Chapter President Christina Baker said the community response so far has been fantastic, but they are currently in great need of both monetary and meat donations this winter.
“We honestly would not be able to function if it wasn’t for the donations from everything from private citizens to other vet groups and businesses,” said Chapter President Christina Baker.
Veterans Meat Locker works with most local processors and anyone that donates the processing costs with an animal will be entering into a drawing for a firearm early next year.
Helena Treasurer Jenni Maier said Baker and herself are both veterans and they felt a desire to give back and help their other service members
“We want to be able to give back and this was a great organization that started in Billings and they are doing wonderful things over there,” said Maier. “Helena is a really great city of taking care of it’s own so we thought this would be a great place to start the locker.”
Montana Veterans Meat Locker is a non-employed, all-volunteer organization that was founded in 2016 by Purple Heart recipient Chris Grudzinski and his wife Kristin.
Helena organizers said they are still a small operation running out of a garage, but hope to grow to a walk-in freezer that can accommodate more meat and serve more veterans.
For more information about Montana Veterans Meat Locker, including how to help, visit their Facebook page.
-Reported by John Riley/MTN News
