MADISON, Wis. — A top Dane County food pantry is continuing to serve the community this holiday season and beyond, thanks in part to volunteers like Aimee Ford.  

Ford, a dedicated volunteer at The River Food Pantry, spends several hours each week feeding homebound clients throughout Dane County. Her efforts are motivated by personal experience with food insecurity.  

“I’ve had times in my life when finances were tight, and having enough food was sometimes an issue,” Ford said. “So I’m happy that I can pay it forward, so to speak.”  

Ford not only packs groceries for her clients but also delivers them at her own expense. Her work highlights the ever-growing demand for food assistance in the area.  

“So everybody has a diagnosis, a car accident, some unfortunate incident away from potentially needing these services,” Jamie Midthun, The River Food Pantry’s deliveries coordinator, said. “To know that it’s [The River Food Pantry] here — there are many jobs where you can leave feeling good about the work you did.”  

The nonprofit is now seeing a record need for services despite the pandemic ending.

“There’s a lot of need in this community, and unfortunately, that need has not decreased,” Midthun explained.  

On a recent delivery day, our Spectrum News cameras followed Ford as she made her rounds, including a stop at the East Side home of Peter Labelle, a client who has become a friend. Ford’s delivery included a personalized River Food Pantry touch, like birthday cake supplies to help Labelle celebrate.  

“These people are angels,” Labelle said. “Sometimes I have a hard month and a hard time making it.”  

Ford’s hundreds of volunteer hours have not gone unnoticed, but The River Food Pantry needs more volunteers like her as demand continues to grow.  

“As the old saying goes, it is in giving that we receive,” Ford said.  

The River Food Pantry plans to expand into a larger location soon to better serve its clients. To learn more about how to support their efforts, visit The River Food Pantry website.