Deer Lodge Couple Feeds Thousands of Veterans Across Montana Earning Congressional Honor

DEER LODGE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines has recognized a Powell County couple for their exceptional dedication to feeding Montana’s veterans, highlighting their Southwest Montana Veterans Food Pantry as a model of community service.

Jay and Susan Wood were named Daines’ “Montanans of the Month” for September, earning recognition in the Congressional Record for distributing more than 44,000 pounds of food to veterans across 16 Montana counties so far in 2025.

“Jay and Susan have made it their mission to ensure Montana’s veterans never go hungry,” Daines stated in his Congressional tribute. The couple achieved their biggest month on record in May, distributing 5,400 pounds to southwest Montana veterans—surpassing the previous month by 1,400 pounds.

Operating out of Jay’s Small Engine Repair business in Deer Lodge, the Woods have created what Daines described as “a community with the Southwest Montana Veterans Food Pantry where veterans can feel a part of a family.”

The couple has built an extensive network spanning food pantries, nonprofit organizations, supermarkets, specialty businesses, and other groups across the state that collaborate to identify and support veterans in need.

Jay Wood, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1981 to 1995 and the Montana National Guard’s 120th Airlift Wing from 2010 to 2020, brings a veteran’s perspective to the operation. Beyond food distribution, the pantry provides transportation to medical appointments and suicide prevention resources, including gun locks and pill cases.

This recognition represents the second major honor for Jay Wood’s veteran advocacy work. In 2022, Governor Greg Gianforte presented him with the 2021 Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation during a ceremony at the food pantry.

“After serving in the military, Jay opened a veterans food pantry out of his business in Deer Lodge, touching many lives in his community,” Gianforte said at that ceremony.

Susan Wood’s partnership has been instrumental in expanding the pantry’s reach from its original southwest Montana focus to the current 16-county operation spanning much of the state.

Through Daines’ monthly “Montanan of the Month” initiative, he highlights outstanding Montanans by submitting recognition statements to the Congressional Record, the official document of congressional proceedings.

“Their selfless efforts deserve recognition and serve as a powerful reminder to cherish our freedoms and thank those who have fought to defend our country,” Daines concluded in his tribute.