GREEN BAY, Wis. — Last year in Wisconsin, local agencies reported more than 4,800 homeless people, nearly a 2% increase from 4,775 in 2022, according to a report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum.

Brown County recorded more than 600 unsheltered people this year— nearly half of that number was in Green Bay.

The organization Feeding the Park People is looking to change that by making sure the homeless are fed by putting extra food to good use.

What You Need To Know

  • Lynn Massey founded Feeding the Park People, in 2020, an orgnaization ensuring the homeless are fed  by putting extra food to good use

  • Massey said her organization feeds anywhere from 10 people to 100 people a week, nearly 300 homeless people in Green Bay

  • In 2023, Wisconsin reported 4,861 homeless individuals, a 1.8% increase from 4,775 the previous year
  • Green Bay restaurants and businesses sell Massey extra food to help feed the homeless

Every week dozens of homeless in Green Bay find themselves sleeping in parks often without something to eat. 

Former kindergarten teacher Lynn Massey said this is an all too familiar sight in the city.

“I would see people sitting at picnic benches, homeless that were hungry while I was watching my classroom kids throw food away in the garbage, and I can’t stand to like, waste food when there’s people starving,” Massey said.

In 2020, Massey started Feeding the Park People to help feed the unsheltered. She said everyday restaurants and gas stations throw out pounds of food. She hopes to put that extra grub to good use.

“It just bothers me when so much food goes to waste, when there’s so many people that need it. So, my objective has always been getting all the foods that doesn’t go in the dumpster and bringing it to wherever homeless people are, whether they’re in a park, under an overpass, walking on the sidewalk, wherever they’re at,” Massey said.

Holly Zeimentz is a manager at Pizza Ranch, a buffet style restaurant. Zeimentz said sometimes not all the food is eaten, so she’s happy to sell their extras to feeding the park people.

“It is kind of unfortunate that we have to throw away the leftovers or the stuff that’s expired, so it is nice that it’s going to a better cause, and actually going people that can use it and need it more than obviously our garbage can,” Zeimentz said.

Feeding the Park People is a year-round effort for Massey. She said that’s because she said there’s plenty of need.

“It varies anywhere from 10 people to 100 people, then you multiply that times monthly, and that’s a lot of people,” Massey said.

It’s not always easy for the homeless to get a decent meal. Massey said this labor of love helps fulfill two goals.

“One is, yay, there’s no food going to waste. My second one is, everyone needs to eat, and I’m so glad that I can provide food for people that don’t have any other way necessarily to get food,” Massey said.

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