Local food pantries staying strong during holidays

St. John’s Masonic Lodge of Whitewater and Palmyra recently made a donation of numerous cases of canned vegetables to the pantries in both communities. Pictured are lodge members Bob Herold, Dale Olson, Lee Cushman and Josh Therrian with pantry volunteer Glen Schrank outside the Palmyra Food Pantry. (Photo Courtesy Wes Therrian)

By Ryan Spoehr

Staff Writer

As the season of giving has been in full swing, food pantries in Whitewater, Eagle and Palmyra have not had a shortage of people willing to give.

There have been more than 530 people served at the Whitewater Food Pantry in the past year. Some go to the food pantry regularly, while some go every two or three months or just in winter, said Marianne Scott of the Whitewater Food Pantry. In the past couple of months, the number has risen to about 150 or 200 people per month, she said.

“People give us extra, I think, to make sure we have enough, but some of it will carry over into January,” Scott said. “There are certain groups that are monthly supporters. There are fraternities that have spring and fall collections.”

Last week, there were Christmas packages from the Whitewater Food Pantry given to 210 families.

Also, while food service at UW-Whitewater winds down for the between semesters, the Whitewater Food Pantry receives a few extra donations from the university, Scott said.

“It must be a large percentage of people in Whitewater who give. It’s amazing to see so many donations,” Scott said.

The giving has been felt in Palmyra and Eagle as well.

“This community has been very generous to this pantry and all of our calls for help,” said Marlene Frehner, director of the Palmyra Food Pantry.

Of all the community involvement, the Palmyra-Eagle School District recently had its “Stuff the Bus” campaign, which had donations go to the local food pantries.

“We are thankful of the support monetarily and of Stuff the Bus,” said Marlene Frehner, the director of the Palmyra Food Pantry.

“We always get donations. However, we’ve had many donations lately,” said Mitzi Roscizewski, a volunteer at the Eagle Food Pantry.

Roscizewski reported serving 17 households, which is roughly 75 people while averaging each household to be about four people.

The giving to those in need has been possible with donations from community members

“The Eagle community has been generous, even in the leanest of economic times. The school districts, the Lions Club, St. Theresa’s – they’ve all been very generous,” Roscizewski said.

Roscizewski said the Eagle Food Pantry has the most available during the holiday season.

“The Methodist church does collections. The Postal Service does their drive. We’re very fortunate that ours is pretty staggered. The libraries have collections. It is kind of anomaly,” Roscizewski said.

But, every little bit matters.

“We have a lot of support around the holidays, but it all goes out. That’s what is amazing about it,” Scott said.

“Even a little bit helps,” Roscizewski said.

There have been donations locally to food pantries from the Palmyra-Eagle School District, the Lions Club and others.

Need doesn’t go away

Even though the local food pantries tend not to have a lagging period for donations after the holidays, volunteers are reminding people the need is still there even after the season of giving.

“I think the way to think of it is we eat every day. People want to give during the holidays, but we can’t forget people eat in January and February either,” Scott said.

People involved in the local food pantries still encourage donations and are appreciative of every one of them.

“I would tell people that the satisfaction of what they’ve done to help someone (through the food pantry) will be greater than any feeling they could imagine,” Roscizewski said.

Volunteers and directors also remind people that the pantries are focused on giving and receiving, not on judging.

“I view the food pantry like an oasis or a watering place. It is a neutral place where anyone can come,” Scott said. “It’s a designated area. It’s very neutral of politics and free from judging one another. It’s a pleasant place to be.”

The Whitewater Community Food Pantry is on the second floor of the Old Whitewater Armory at 146 W. North Street. It is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

The Eagle Food Pantry is in St. Theresa’s Catholic Church at 136 Waukesha Street in Eagle. It is open every Wednesday from 9-10 a.m.

The Palmyra Food Pantry is at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church at 313 Main Street in Palmyra. It is open the second and fourth Thursdays of every month from 10 a.m. until noon. It is also open on the first and third Thursdays of every month from 6-8 p.m.

Comments are closed.