Skip & Sherry Espeseth - Community Spotlight

Food insecurity is on the rise for a multitude of reasons, from rising prices across the board to mass layoffs - people are struggling to stay afloat. Thankfully, we have people like Skip and Sherry Espeseth, who run the Food Pantry at Olivet Lutheran Church, who serve our neighbors with compassion and respect.

Both Skip and Sherry have extensive volunteer backgrounds and, when they moved here 5 years ago, it was very important to them to give back to the community in meaningful ways. After almost 2 years of being in town and watching Roger Larson (the then Pantry Manager) rock it as a one man show, they found what they wanted to do and, thus, began their journey with the Olivet Food Pantry. They started their Fresh Produce Distribution in October of 2023, and had become an integral part of the pantry. When Roger was ready to retire in 2024, they stepped up and took it over completely.

Today, Skip and Sherry have grown and manage a volunteer network of 50+ individuals that include congregation members, sport team members from Concordia, MSUM and NDSU, the Boy Scouts, and Refugees looking to give back to the community that accepted them with open arms. Together with their team of volunteers, they ensure that 350+ families are fed every single month, across their two monthly distributions.

They started a Metro-Area Pantry Coalition in 2025, to ensure that products that are donated across the pantry network in Fargo/Moorhead/West Fargo aren’t going to waste and are being distributed in communities that can use them most.

In serving our communities, they lead by example, through removing barriers like income restrictions, never turning families away, and allowing people to pick up for other families that may otherwise be unable to do so or are too ashamed to ask for help. Their partial choice model (offering choices in addition to their pre-packed distribution boxes) and drive-up distribution style honors the dignity of our neighbors by ensuring that they have access to foods that they enjoy, while observing their anonymity.

When people question the wisdom of making everything so accessible, their response is “What’s our mission? To hand out food.” Their reminder to their volunteers and to others in the community is that it’s nobody’s place to judge another’s circumstance, as every story is different and there is already too much stigma around asking for help.

If this wasn’t enough, they also share their time with the Ronald McDonald house assisting with administrative work and fundraising once a week and, when time permits, cooking meals for their residents once a month.

Skip and Sherry are the epitome of Community Leadership, leading with love, acceptance, and compassion every step of the way. To them, giving back to their community is a gift. They find so much joy in service and experiencing the immediate impact of handing food to a family that is struggling and seeing the relief in their eyes. If you see them about, be sure to thank them for their service!

Are you looking for ways to help? Here’s how:

The Food Pantry at Olivet Lutheran Church is fully funded through the church and congregation, but they are always appreciative of additional cash donations, which are used to purchase additional foods and products. You can also donate foods like ground beef, chicken, and fish, and / or spaghetti sauce, which is frequently used in easy meal kits. They are also always open to having more volunteers!

Do you need help?

Food distributions are held at Olivet Lutheran Church located on the corner of 13th Ave S. & University Dr. S. in Fargo on the first and third Monday of the month from 4:30 pm until 6pm or until the food is gone. You can also find additional distributions here. Remember, you are worthy of help and support. Don’t be afraid to ask, that’s what community is for.