Penitentiary Raises $4,541 for Student Hunger

Residents and staff at the North Dakota State Penitentiary raised the money during October for Bismarck students' lunches.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Philanthropy

Wide prairie landscape under a pale autumn sky, with a ceramic lunch plate of bread and apple slices on a wooden table in the foreground. — Residents and staff at the North Dakota State Penitentiary raised $4,541 in October to fund Bismarck students' school lunches through the Bismarck Public School Foundation. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you support prison residents raising money for local student hunger programs?

Residents and staff at the North Dakota State Penitentiary raised $4,541 during October to support the Bismarck Public School Foundation's Student Hunger - Student Lunches program. The effort was spearheaded by Travis Collins, Community Resource Manager, and Zack Sackhoff, Recreation Director.

Why it matters

The funds support the foundation's ongoing efforts to address food insecurity and help ensure students have access to meals during the school day. The initiative was inspired by a similar effort at a Kansas correctional facility that aimed to eliminate student lunch debt at a local school.

The campaign raised $4,541 in October, combining resident contributions made through facility accounts with direct staff donations. The total covers the Bismarck Public School Foundation's Student Hunger - Student Lunches initiative, though the number of students reached was not reported.

The players

Travis Collins

Travis Collins is the Community Resource Manager at the North Dakota State Penitentiary who spearheaded the fundraising effort.

Zack Sackhoff

Zack Sackhoff is the Recreation Director at the North Dakota State Penitentiary who also spearheaded the fundraising effort.

Bismarck Public School Foundation

The Bismarck Public School Foundation is the nonprofit that runs the Student Hunger - Student Lunches initiative supported by the donations.

The details

Throughout October, penitentiary residents were able to contribute money through their facility accounts, while staff members donated directly to the Bismarck Public School Foundation's Student Hunger - Student Lunches initiative. The penitentiary has previously contributed to the Great American Bike Race, Ministry on the Margins, the McQuade Softball Charity, and United Way.

October: Residents and staff raised $4,541 for student hunger.
November 9, 2026: An article about the fundraising effort was published.

Philanthropy Pattern

The Bismarck fundraiser was inspired by a Kansas correctional facility's campaign to eliminate student lunch debt at a local school. It adopts that model of incarcerated people and staff funding school meals in their own communities.

Students in Bismarck public schools who rely on school meals may see support for their lunches through the Bismarck Public School Foundation's program. Community members interested in similar efforts can look for local foundations that run student hunger initiatives.

The takeaway

Community fundraising from unexpected sources, including incarcerated residents and staff, can directly ease food insecurity for local students. Supporting school foundations that run meal programs is one practical way for residents to help.