Article and photos by Kelly McCandless

For over 130 years, the Salvation Army has served the Billings community by meeting human needs without discrimination. The Salvation Army operates nationwide, and the Billings office customizes its services to directly serve our population. It’s fueled by incredibly committed volunteers, faith, partnerships, and leaders devoted to the mission. 

Felecia Pedersen and her husband Colin have worked for Salvation Army for 20 years and lived in Billings leading the charge as Captains for the last five. While the organization serves neighbors in need with programs like Dress-a-Child, Rehabilitation Support, the Angel Tree Giving Program, and more, the service unique to Billings is the Mobile Food Ministry. 

Many food banks or pantries in Billings means support is often available for those who can get to a pantry and provide the required documentation. The Salvation Army addresses hunger for those who can’t meet those conditions. “Anyone who needs a meal on the mobile program can have one. We don’t ask for identification or proof of income on the mobile meal program; we trust that if you are there, you need it,” Felecia explained. Volunteers' connections while delivering on the vans help them offer follow-up services when appropriate, which is one of many strengths of the service. 

“Anyone who needs a meal on the mobile program can have one. We don’t ask for identification or proof of income on the mobile meal program; we trust that if you are there, you need it.” 

-Felecia Pedersen

A BEACON OF HOPE 

Two of those volunteers are Bill Oakey and his daughter, Sue Klein. Bill has been a devoted volunteer for over 5 years, and Sue has joined him often for the last year. I had the distinct privilege of riding along with them on a recent Saturday night and saw the impact their consistency, familiarity, and warmth had on the individuals they served. 

Monday through Saturday, two mobile meal delivery vans load up with food and deliver to the same route of stops for about an hour to an hour and a half in the evenings. Volunteers donate, prepare, and pack hot meals to be delivered Monday through Friday, and they provide sandwiches on Saturday. 

As we pulled into each designated area, Bill offered a “Beep! Beep!” on the van to notify anyone about our arrival. After just a few seconds, several folks would approach the van, offering a polite and warm “hello.” What truly warmed my heart was that Bill and Sue knew many of the patrons by name. At some stops, they asked each other about someone, wondering why they hadn’t seen them and if they’d heard from them the week before. Others were greeted by name, offering kindness and a friendly smile along with the meal. After everyone in line received their meal, Bill gave another “Beep! Beep!” to let everyone know we were leaving in case anyone wanted to catch us. 

Throughout a little over an hour, we served one hundred meals while the other van delivering on the second route delivered over 180 meals. 

Bill came to the program as a volunteer simply because he saw a need and knew he could help. When asked why, he merely replied, “Everyone needs and deserves to eat.” Bill has been a structural engineer since 1967 and is putting his skills to work by helping the Salvation Army install a trailer offering shower stalls for patrons. “He just gives of his time when it comes to this organization,” Sue said. 

Today, Bill is a reliable beacon of hope for the Salvation Army Mobile Meal program. The staff knows they can call him if a need arises, and he consistently serves the program and its beneficiaries. 

A NEED FOR MORE 

Felecia discussed the importance of the Mobile Meal Program and how much they’d like to expand it if they could. “The van routes have been the same since we moved here five years ago. We’ve made minor changes if there is a change in ownership at an apartment complex or if someone reaches out to let us know there is a real need somewhere, but part of the success of the program is reliably being in the same place at the same time each day. People know where to find us.” 

As the need for support grows across the area, the Salvation Army would like to incorporate more service areas. The current vans serve the downtown and south side areas, but demand exists in the heights and on the west end. New sites would require not only another van but also significantly more volunteers and increased donations to provide more food. It’s capacity they want to add, but aren’t sure when they will be able to. 

A SEASON TO GIVE 

The Salvation Army volunteers will be out again this holiday season with their Kettle Program, including ringing bells alongside familiar red kettles. The well-known campaign is one of the largest fundraisers for the Salvation Army annually. It helps significantly fund the Mobile Meal Ministry and many other important programs. If you want to learn more, volunteer, or donate, you can get information at billings.salvationarmy.org/. You can also sign up directly to volunteer at volunteer.usawest.org/. 

Originally printed in the December 2024 issue of Simply Local Magazine

Check this article out in the digital issue of Simply Local here!

related articles: