BISMARCK, N.D. — Students across the Bismarck and Mandan school districts have launched a new initiative, “Bis-Man Gives A Can,” this month to raise awareness about food insecurity and create meaningful change. The program, which encourages competition among area schools, seeks to collect 2,000 non-perishable food items by October 27, with collected donations going to the Great Plains Food Bank.
The effort is led by students like Berniece Debertin, a junior at Legacy High, who expressed concern for her peers. Debertin noted, “Every day I come to school, and I look around at all these people, and I don’t know if they had breakfast that morning.” Kyla Anderson, a senior at Legacy High and a leader in the program, highlighted the scope of the problem, stating that "one in five children are seen as hungry and not able to access food."
Anderson and Debertin observed an increasing food crisis within their community, despite the availability of existing food pantries. This prompted them to develop a program that would engage both students and the broader community. Anderson explained, "We were like, ‘Well, how can we get kids involved and also our community?’ So, we came up with Bisman Gives a Can."
The program is designed to foster participation by having schools across Bismarck and Mandan compete against one another in collecting donations. Two students from each district volunteer to help lead the community-wide food drive. This structure is intended not only to make the initiative more enticing for participants but also to provide students with a chance to lead the way for change.
Anderson also addressed common perceptions about student involvement in community issues. She stated, “I think a lot of people will say, ‘Well, they’re just students, they’re kids.’ But many public Bismarck school students are getting food access through the schools because they have nowhere else to go.” Debertin reinforced this sentiment, emphasizing the voice and potential impact of young people: “Kids care too. People forget that we have a voice and we can make a difference.”
The immediate goal for “Bis-Man Gives A Can” is to gather 2,000 food items by October 27. Donations can be dropped off at any participating school, which currently includes every high school in Bismarck and Mandan, as well as Saint Mary’s High School and Shiloh Christian School. Additionally, on October 26 and 27, non-perishable items can be brought directly to the Bismarck Event Center. Organizers hope to expand this effort to a statewide initiative in the next couple of years, building on the local success of addressing food insecurity.
