MISSOULA, Mont. — Most children are out of school, but for some kids, they not only rely on school for an education, but for meals too.

From wall to wall, floor to ceiling it is food in abundance at the Montana Food Bank Network's distribution site in Missoula, and that's because they serve the entire state of Montana all 56 counties with the ability to serve a capacity of 24 million pounds of food and that numbers only increasing.

Everyday pallets of food make their way from Missoula to food banks across the treasure state.

"I've never experienced the level of passion and commitment that people not just here at MFBN, but at all the food banks across the united states have food is an essential need," Gayle Carlson MFBN President and CEO.

Nationally, almost 22 million children rely on schools for their meals, but those meals can stop during the summer when school is not in session, leaving kids at risk of hunger.

According to the network, one in six children in Montana lives in a food-insecure household.

Over the last few years the network says demands only increased.

"COVID changed the landscape considerably, when it became more of a common norm a, we saw lines and miles of people that would be waiting to get food boxes, their food dollars are not stretching nearly as far because of the cost of living," Carlson said.

During COVID the MFBN reached 24 million pounds of food in a year but now on average they serve around 18 million pounds.

"We've never been able to serve 100% of the individuals that are in need in our state so, until we do that and we know that everyone has access to adequate healthy nutritious food, our job is not done," Carlson said.

The MFBN is unique as most states use multiple food banks to cover a region, through the Feeding America Program, here in Montana they are the only one.

To keep up the MFBN is breaking ground on a new 53,000 square foot facility almost doubling their current capacity.

"We could not do it without our 360 plus partners across the state, when I say we serve the entire state of Montana, we do that through them," Carlson said.

The MFBN does more than help food banks, they offer numerous programs to ensure no child endures hunger.

For now its business as usual as their fleet of semis load up, take off and deliver food.

If you want to learn more about the Feeding America campaign and how you can contribute to no kid hungry Montana click here.

Through feeding America, every dollar donated helps provide at least 10 meals on behalf of local member food banks. The Sinclair Cares: Summer Hunger Relief campaign will be supported by a $25,000 donation from Sinclair Broadcast Group.