RAPID CITY, S.D. - s4story -- Rapid City, SD — A new community-powered hunger relief initiative is mobilizing Rapid City with a bold challenge: to sponsor 250,000 nutritious meals by July 4 to launch a local food pantry and community meal-packing center.

Founded by U.S. Army veteran Robert Mitchell, Bravery Basket Food Pantry and its 40¢ Kids Meals campaign aim to unite businesses, churches, civic groups, and individuals to create a sustainable, high-impact solution to food insecurity across the Black Hills region.

Each sponsored meal costs just 40 cents, enabling donors and sponsors to maximize impact while fueling the rapid development of a volunteer-powered packing center capable of producing 10,000 or more meals in a single event.

"This campaign is about building something lasting for our community," said Mitchell. "Reaching 250,000 meals by July 4 allows us to open our doors, activate volunteers, and begin feeding families at scale. This is how lasting change starts."

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Why 250,000 Meals Matters

Reaching the 250,000-meal goal enables Bravery Basket to:

• Open a fully operational food pantry
• Launch a community meal-packing center
• Expand cold storage, shelving, and food handling capacity
• Mobilize volunteers and host large-scale packing events

Once operational, the organization will host regular packing events capable of producing tens of thousands of meals each month, directly serving families facing food insecurity.

A Veteran's Mission of Service

Mitchell, a former U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter crew chief, founded the nonprofit as a continuation of lifelong service.

"Service doesn't end when the uniform comes off," he said. "This mission is about dignity, compassion, and community — and making sure no child goes hungry."

How the Community Can Help

Community members, businesses, churches, and organizations can participate by:

• Sponsoring meals
• Hosting meal-packing events
• Volunteering as individuals or teams
• Becoming founding community partners

Sponsorship opportunities start at $400 for 1,000 meals.

More information is available at https://40centmeals.org