For Montana State University junior Ashlin Ivester, a home-cooked meal is the key ingredient to bringing people together. Just ask the hundreds of families who would have otherwise struggled to afford a Christmas dinner but for Ivester’s efforts this winter.
Originally from Atlanta, Ivester moved to Bozeman in elementary school and quickly dedicated herself to helping her community. In 2021, her junior year of high school, Ivester started a group called Holiday Helper, which provides Gallatin Valley families in need with a multi-course meal for the holidays.
Under Ivester’s leadership, Holiday Helper has grown each winter. Now, it’s blossomed into a program with dozens of volunteers that feeds hundreds of families per year — an accomplishment that led Ivester to win the George M. Dennison Civic Engagement Scholarship for 2024-2025.
The annual $1,000 scholarship, sponsored by the Montana Campus Network for Civic Engagement, is awarded to outstanding college students who exemplify civic leadership and foster positive change in their communities.
“Montana State University is incredibly proud of our students who are actively engaged in civic activities and participate in volunteer work within the greater Gallatin Valley,” said Steve Swinford, vice president for student success at MSU. “We commend Ashlin for this well-deserved recognition and celebrate the example she sets for her peers.”
Of this year’s 10 awardees, Ivester is the only recipient from MSU, where she is studying psychology. After graduation, she hopes to obtain a master’s degree and specialize in forensic psychology, supporting the mental health of people who are incarcerated.
Of the scholarship, Ivester said that “I’m super grateful for it. My parents work really, really hard and they contribute what they can, but college costs a lot. So having scholarships like this is definitely helpful.”
Helping people has always been a passion of Ivester’s. She started Holiday Helper four years ago to help address food insecurity she saw in the Gallatin Valley.
Ivester said when looking into volunteer work in high school, many of the opportunities she saw were materialistic — asking people to donate money or buy presents, for example.
“But I wanted something that addressed the bigger issues we have in Bozeman,” Ivester said. “And from my other volunteer work, I knew that food insecurity was a bigger problem than I think most people realize.”
“Also, Christmas is just my favorite time of year,” she added. “My family and I always have these big meals, so I really wanted to be able to share that with people who don’t have the opportunity to have that.”
Last winter, Ivester and over 30 volunteers cooked nearly 250 meals for families in need. Families were able to choose between a ham and a turkey, three of six offered sides, and from a selection of pies and desserts. Volunteers spent three full days cooking and then helped deliver meals to families on Christmas Eve. Ivester’s dad, a former private chef, helped calculate the ingredients and proportions needed for cooking at such a large scale, she said.
A Bozeman restaurant allowed the group to use its kitchen space, and other local businesses have donated food to the effort.
In addition to Holiday Helper, Ivester volunteers with several of HRDC’s programs in town. She works occasional night shifts at the Warming Center, where she helps maintain a clean and safe environment while engaging with people who are staying overnight. She also helps wash dishes for Fork and Spoon, HRDC’s pay-what-you-can restaurant, and works with animals at the Heart of the Valley animal shelter.
In high school, Ashlin traveled to the Dominican Republic to perform service work through Bozeman’s VISIONS Service Adventures.
“Ashlin arrived to our program in the Dominican Republic with a mindset of service and altruism,” said Katherine Dayton, executive director of VISIONS Service Adventures, who wrote Ashlin’s letter of support for the scholarship. “She is a standout, and we’ve loved being one part of her launch into making a positive impact on the world.”
Kim Cleary, MSU’s community engagement program manager in the Office of Student Engagement, also commended Ivester’s outreach.
“This scholarship is meant to recognize students that have gone above and beyond to serve their communities, and Ashlin is incredibly deserving of this recognition,” Cleary said. “Her ability to identify a gap in services in her community and garner the support needed to address that gap are evidence that she embodies the spirit of this award. Montana State and the Gallatin Valley communities are lucky to have Ashlin’s dedication and commitment.”
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