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DANE COUNTY, Wis. — A group of 36 Dane County food pantries are banding together to draw attention to the growing food insecurity crisis.
The over three dozen pantries released a letter to the community Tuesday to ask for support and long-term solutions to the rising need. The letter appeared in the form of a full-page ad in the print edition of the Wisconsin State Journal.
“Dane County, we need your help,” the ad reads. “As Dane County food pantries, we serve thousands of people in our community each day. Our shared mission is to make sure our neighbors don’t face hunger. But we are facing a serious challenge.”
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According to the letter, visits to pantries have more than doubled in the last two years. Leaders attributed this to higher food and rent prices, coupled with the loss of federal pandemic assistance.
The pantries said their current suppliers of free food are also struggling to keep up with demand.
“These trends make it challenging to keep food on our shelves,” the letter said.
Leaders also stressed that pressure will only get worse as kids are let out of school and have less access to free food.
“Millions of people in this country are just one job loss or health emergency away from hunger,” said Marcia Kasieta, business director of Badger Prairie Needs Network in Verona, in a press release. “Food insecurity in Dane County is real and as the region grows, so does the demand for food pantry services. Pantries are working double-time to address this increase.”
Executive Director for WayForward Resources Ellen Carlson said it's why the pantries are coming together.
“Because of the urgency of the situation, we are coming together for the first time as food pantries to make our community aware of the challenges we face in meeting the need,” said Carlson in a press release. “Our current resources can only stretch so far.”
The coalition of pantries urged the community to help in any way they can.
That includes:
- Financial donations to support your local pantry
- Organizing a food drive
- Volunteering your time
- Asking your local pantry what food items they need and buying those items to donate
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“It will take all of us to meet this challenge and make sure our neighbors don’t experience hunger. We are committed to doing all we can. We are asking you to join us,” the letter concluded.
You can find more food pantry resources here.