Food pantry encourages cash donations
By Angie Landsverk
An annual food drive that brings about 10,000 pounds of food donations to Waupaca’s food pantry is postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive was scheduled for Saturday, May 9.
“It is important to note that the largest single-day food drive is not going away,” said Howard Pope. “While this year’s unusual circumstance is putting a halt on our communities’ push to restock food pantry shelves, we will have an opportunity later this year to restock them when it’s safe to do so. A future date for the food drive hasn’t been finalized just yet.”
Pope is a letter carrier in the Waupaca Post Office and the local food drive coordinator.
Money donations needed
In response to COVID-19, the Waupaca Area Food Pantry remains open as an essential service.
However, food pantries have been advised to pause food donations from individuals and ask people to consider monetary donations, said Kathy Jenner, the pantry’s volunteer operations manager.
“In lieu of community food drives, we are asking for monetary donations to help us target and purchase the most needed items,” she said. “Your financial gifts allow us to quickly respond to changing needs, as well as support local businesses through the purchase of goods.”
The pantry missed Easter donations this year and the Boy Scout food drive that would have been on April 18.
It now faces the postponement of the Letter Carriers’ food drive.
Jenner said these drives are critical to pantry operations and help carry it through the summer months.
The pantry usually receives between 500 and 600 pounds of food from both the Boy Scout food drive and donations around Easter.
Locally, the pantry is working with Aldi’s, Neumann’s Piggly Wiggly and Pick ‘n Save, as well as Feeding America to receive and distribute perishable and non-perishable foods safely and efficiently, Jenner said.
Those who want to support the pantry’s COVID-19 response effort may mail checks to the Waupaca Area Food Pantry, P.O. Box 565, Waupaca, WI 54981.
Money donated to food pantries serves local families, Pope said.
“Right now, the need to serve local families is great due to school closures and spikes in unemployment,” he said.
The delay of Stamp Out Hunger means food pantries need to rely on cash donations to restock their shelves, Pope said.
Pandemic’s impact on need
The effect of COVID-19 is an unprecedented challenge for the pantry, Jenner said.
“Our communities face the reality of business closures, layoffs, furloughs, missed paychecks and school closures,” she said. “We understand that the loss of just one paycheck, or even one shift at work, can cause an economic hardship and lead to food insecurity.”
Jenner said no one should go hungry during the pandemic.
The pantry has adjusted its method of distribution and its operating hours.
It is currently distributing food from 9-11 a.m. on Mondays and Fridays.
Located at 800 Churchill St., the pantry serves those who live in the Waupaca School District.
“To limit the possible transmission of the virus and keep our volunteers and clients safe, we are distributing pre-packaged bags of groceries, according to family size,” she said.
Jenner said they will continue monitoring the situation to determine if the days and hours need to be adjusted related to staffing levels, easing of restrictions and level of traffic.
“We understand that this model doesn’t allow for choice of products, but to reduce the chances of virus transmission, we need to provide service as quickly and safely as possible,” she said. “We will resume normal operations as soon as it is safe to do so. We do our best to ensure the packages are as consistent as possible, with a healthy mix of fresh, frozen and shelf-stable foods.”
This year marks the pantry’s 34th anniversary.
Jenner said it is an achievement they have not done alone.
“We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for our generous community, dedicated Board of Directors, volunteers and corporate and community partners. We owe everyone a debt of gratitude,” she said. “And we couldn’t accomplish our mission without the awesome community food drives that take place throughout the year, like the Letter Carriers’ Food Drive.”