Piggly Wiggly helps with freezer purchase

By Angie Landsverk

Neumann’s Piggly Wiggly has donated $1,025 to the Waupaca Area Food Pantry.

The donation represents 3 percent of its total store sales on Sept. 26.

“This fills a huge need so that we can keep feeding people,” said Linda Holtebeck, president of the pantry’s board,

She said the board intends to use the donation to purchase a new freezer.

The pantry has about 10 freezers, and is need of new ones, Holtebeck said.

“We could also use another new freezer,” she said.

With holidays approachings, people tend to donate more food to the pantry this time of year.

In addition, Waupaca’s pantry and others throughout the country have been notified they will receive more government commodities than usual this December, Holtebeck said.

That is because the U.S. government is buying surpluses of commodities and distributing them to food banks due to the effect tariffs are having on farmers.

“Coming into the holidays, we know that is when the pantry is looking for help,” said Scott Neumann, who with his wife Lorrie owns

Neumann’s Piggly Wiggly.

That is why they chose the food pantry for their latest donation.

“We do the donation bags, and they really sell,” he said.

For $6.99, people may purchase a bag of groceries for the local pantry.

“We used to just do it around the holidays,” Neumann said. “People asked to do it year around.”

They advertised the pantry would receive 3 percent of their store’s total sales on Sept. 26.

That day, a few customers told Neumann they were purchasing more than they needed to, because they knew it would help the pantry.

Located at 800 Churchill St., the Waupaca Area Food Pantry is open from 9-11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The pantry serves those who live in the Waupaca School District, and they need to meet government financial guidelines.

People may call the pantry at 715-265-1645 to learn about the qualifications.

This is the third time Neumann’s Piggly Wiggly has donated a portion of the store’s total sales.

The first donation went to Waupaca’s police department, and the second one was split by the police and fire departments.

On Halloween, 3 percent of the store’s total sales will again be split evenly by those two departments, Neumann said.