BISMARCK, ND ( KXNET ) — What started as a dream, is now serving as a safety net and hope for all.

In this month’s KX Gives Back, we give back to those who give so much to the community and head to the Dream Center.

“It was May 29th of 2016, when I woke up that God had given me for a meal ministry surrounded with free services to help those in need,” said Jim Barnhardt, the executive director of the Dream Center Bismarck.

The Dream Center offers a variety of services for those in need.

Monday through Friday they have free breakfast, sack lunches, and dinner available to the public. They also have a banquet on Saturdays and Sundays. The food pantry is open every Tuesday and Thursday night.

They also have an adopt-a-block program where they take items near their expiration date or excess products from local grocery stores and distribute them throughout the community.

“We’re serving a lot of needs with our adopt-a-block grocery distribution program. You know, serving thousands of households a week consistently,” said Barnhardt.

The Dream Center and its services are offered to everyone, but it’s especially for those who don’t have much on their plate. Barnhardt said that it’s a growing need within our community.

“Along the way, we’ve really seen people struggling as we’ve had inflation kicking in the last couple of years. That’s made a big difference on things. Also, we’re seeing huge increases in not only apartment rents here in town but also mobile home lot rents and the cost of buying a home has really gone up with the interest rates lately,” Barnhardt said.

However, it’s not just for those who need some food in their belly, it’s also for those who have too much on their plate, so to speak.

“We can help with food, but sometimes people need direction for other things also, and the food will help us get them there,” said Jessica Sloan, the facility & resource manager at the Dream Center Bismarck.

Sloan said that what people are really looking for when they come to the Dream Center, is a safe community.

“You know, one example that one of our kitchen people made today was, you get custody of your kids, and you don’t know what to do because your wife suddenly passes. She was talking about how he has found community with a few of the older ladies who are guiding him along the way,” Sloan explained.

The Dream Center Bismarck has been named a neutral ground, said Sloan, which means that everyone feels safe and welcome there. She said no matter what someone may be going through, they are welcome to come through their doors, and they will find help.

KX News got a chance to bring the staff at the Dream Center some lunch, a pleasant twist in their day: someone else feeding them. As we sat down and chowed down some sandwiches, we learned there are many more needs within the community other than food such as hygiene products and cleaning supplies.

However, there are other needs that Sloan has noticed, and both she and Barnhardt have plans to expand their operation within the community by partnering with other local businesses.

In our table talk, Sloan told a story about a gentleman whose car had broken down and had to leave his car there at the center. That brought up the question, “What happens if these people in need, need other services like car repairs?”

Nothing is in place just yet, but the staff at the Dream Center have some, well, big dreams to fulfill.

Thank you to the Dream Center, their staff, and their volunteers for all that you do for our community.

If you would like to donate to the Dream Center Bismarck, volunteer, or learn more about their services, you can visit their website .

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