Food Bank01

Waupaca County Post

June 22, 2006

Food Bank Marks 20 Years of Serving the Hungry in Waupaca

For 20 years, the Waupaca Area Food Bank has been helping people in need in the Waupaca School District. Each month WAFB helps an average of 375 people with a three-to four-day supply of food. These recipients qualify if their total household income is below the government income poverty guidelines and if they live in the Waupaca School District.

To receive help with food they need to show proof of residence and have proof of identification such as a driver’s license. A household can consist of one or more people living at the same address. WAFB gives recipients nonperishable food items, sometimes fresh produce, venison or other frozen meat, bread and a voucher for milk and eggs. They also try to help them with ideas for making meals and give them recipes.

In 1986, Hands Across America organized a national food drive across the country. Just prior to that, a group of representatives of many of the Waupaca churches had been meeting to discuss what could be done locally, nationally or internationally to help those in need of food. They decided at that time to direct their energy in helping the needs locally.

A board was elected from the group, and plans were made to have a drive called Hands Across Waupaca, coinciding with the national food drive.

In May 1986 a program was held at the Main Street gazebo and 1,500 items were donated. A local business offered the food bank use of a one-room coal bin in their basement. A Boy Scout, earning his Eagle Scout Award, whitewashed the walls and floors and built shelves for the food.

At that time the Social Services Department of Waupaca County gave out two to three bags of groceries per week in the county. WAFB only organized the collection of the food and stored it.

Local churches were contacted and many of them responded by having regular food drives to benefit the food bank. Phone calls were made and the volunteer list was coordinated so each person worked one or two times per month. The Scouts, local organizations, school classrooms, businesses, and individuals had food drives for the benefit of the needy.

In 1990, after the new Waupaca County Courthouse building was constructed, WAFB was offered space in the basement and they were asked to take over the screening and distribution of the food because the number of families served was increasing.

WAFB remained in the courthouse basement until the fall of 1996, when the courthouse expanded and needed the space for their own operations. By that time, the food bank was serving mostly the Waupaca area because other towns and cities in the county had started forming their own food pantries. The food bank needed to find a new home.

Bethany Home then offered the food bank space in the basement of its J-Wing. Since then Bethany has provided a second room for storage of government-donated food.

WAFB is run solely by volunteers. There is an executive board, board of directors and approximately 60 to 70 other volunteers. Duties of volunteers include distributing food when the food bank is open, coordinating volunteers, food deliveries, bread pickup from Pick ‘n Save, Piggly Wiggle and Colligan Bakery, ordering food from grocery stores and markets and ordering government food. The food bank is presently located at 1226 Berlin St., J-Wing of Bethany Home. There are several steps to go down to the food bank, so if a recipient needs help they may use a proxy form. The proxy form allows another person to pick up food for them. WAFB is open from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The phone umber is (715)258-7751, Ext. 116. This number is only answered during the hours the food bank is open.