End Hunger. Start Here. Food Pantry of Waukesha County

Dear Friends of The Food Pantry,

As we enter this time of Thanksgiving and have recently acknowledged the Food Pantry of Waukesha County’s (FPWC) 30th year of service, never has there been a more appropriate time to say “thank you” on behalf of the thousands of people who have been helped through The Pantry’s programs. I am constantly amazed and touched by the ongoing outpouring of care and concern shown by our donors to the people coming through our doors to receive food.

The Board, staff and volunteers of The Food Pantry are also grateful for the trust that you put in us – to be the stewards of your many gifts to the FPWC. During this most recent fiscal year, which ended September 30th, 24,982 families were served with 1017 being newly registered families. The year before, 24, 325 families were served with 970 being newly registered families. This past year approximately $1.5 million in general groceries were distributed, including purchased food valued at $164,693.00. None of this effort would have been possible without your support.

Now, our work continues and we know that we need you more than ever. In September, 6,709 people received food at The Pantry. This was an almost 20% increase higher than August. October numbers remain high at 6709. In September, 115 new families were registered, 130 in October.

Through years of tracking the client registration process and client info updates, statistics show that many of the clients have held jobs. Low wages are often cited as the reason for seeking assistance from the FPWC. The food supplied by the FPWC is intended as a supplement and helps families to use their cash assets for housing, childcare, transportation and other obligations. Recent new client registrations indicate a new trend in need for our services. Many new participants have been laid off from good paying jobs with no assurance of being called back in the near future.

To ensure that we can continue to meet the increased need, we have had to ask for help from our colleagues in the fight against hunger. Recently, a call to Hunger Task Force (HTF) was answered by a generous donation of 40 pallets of much-needed food – provided at absolutely no charge to The Food Pantry. This donation was made during a week when four pantries in other counties of southeastern Wisconsin also asked HTF for help and received food.

We have also had to reduce the amount of food given to each family when they visit the Pantry. While this practice often occurs at the end of summer when our shelves are low of supplies, we are usually able to return to full allotments in October. We now find ourselves in a position where those reduced amounts are still necessary.

We know that with the proper information, our donors will respond and continue to help us in our fight to: END HUNGER – START HERE.

Holiday Meal Drive items needed: Frozen turkeys (or chickens for smaller sized households), mashed potato buds, stuffing, potato and rice side dishes, gravy (cans, jars or mixes), canned vegetables of all kinds, dessert item mixes, cornmeal muffins mixes, baking goods of any kind (flour, brown sugar, white sugar, shortening, vegetable oil, baking powder, baking soda, chocolate chips) and spices. Deliver food items for Holiday Meal distribution which begins November 13th and continues until December 23rd. Call ahead (262.542.5300) for large donations requiring freezer space. (insert link to donation hours)

30 Anniversary Video Presentation (50MB)
Due to the file size, it will take some time to load.
Special thanks to contributors Paul Kaplan, Kimberly Kane, Dave Sherman, Civilian Edit and 5th Floor Recording for their gifts-in-kind.