September 4, 2015 at 4:02 p.m.
Food pantry anticipating higher need during winter months
Food pantry anticipating higher need during winter months
The backpack program, a weekend program for kids to make sure they eat when school meals are unavailable, will be kicking off soon.
New items this year will be Tuna and Chicken Helper to complement the canned tuna and chicken the pantry provides.
Any child on the free lunch program is eligible. The program is geared toward children who might not have someone at home to cook for them over the weekend, food pantry manager Jane Motowski said.
Tuna and Chicken Helper are on the requested donation list for the weekend program, Motowski said, noting that the pantry does not normally doesn't buy them as purchasing plain pasta is much more cost-efficient and stretches much further.
"Customers love them." Motowski said of the boxed dinners, "but I don't normally spend the money."
Jiffy muffin mixes will also be included in the program, because they can be made into pancakes, as well as instant oatmeal.
Not a lot of people know how to cook anymore, Motowski said, which is why the boxed meals are so popular.
Throughout the summer, the pantry had been partnering with the University of Wisconsin-Extension to teach pantry customers how to make various dishes.
Motowski encouraged the Extension to teach garden recipes, to make use of vegetables from the pantry's garden, and herbs.
At times, recipes are offered with distribution with particular food items as well.
Normally, if someone doesn't know how to cook something, they won't take the food item, Motowski said. "But if I have someone working who can tell them how to cook it, they will take it. They will come back and say how they used it."
Ken and Ginger Chrobak have been volunteering at the pantry for nearly 10 years. Ginger is the organization's treasurer while Ken has handled a number of different tasks.
Ken Chrobak took The River News on a tour of the pantry's new location on Coon Street.
The main work that needed to be done to the building to suit the new purpose was to build a wall and raise posts to support the ceiling.
The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry is the only food pantry in the state that owns it own building, noted Ginger Chrobak, adding that the Rhinelander pantry is not supported by a federal program, but is run on community support and donations.
"It's quite an impressive building, it really is," said Ken Chrobak. The building used to be owned by the Golden Harvest grocery store. The new building has significantly cut down on the time needed to process food for customers, according to Motowski. "We're very fortunate," she said.
The volunteer base is comprised of members from 15 different organizations, Ken Chrobak said.
One group of teens from Headwaters is in charge of processing potatoes, Chrobak said. They like it because they get to go out to eat afterwards.
The pantry processes between 5,000 to 7,000 pounds of food per month, and can hold 70,000 to 90,000 pounds of food, Ken Chrobak said.
The building is equipped with coolers and freezers, which helps with produce, dairy and frozen items.
Need for the food pantry stays about the same from year to year, Ken Chrobak said, but seasonally there is a higher demand in the winter months due to winter load limits forcing some people out of work.
"It seems to me they have between 500 and 600 families that come here," Ken Chrobak said.
The customers don't stay the same, as there are many success stories, Ginger Chrobak said, but the number of people and the need for food remains high.
"It stays fairly stable, but it's always new people," Ginger Chrobak said. "I don't think we're ever open without someone new coming in. It's so nice to meet people who have used (the pantry) and don't need it any more. It's so pleasant, it's so nice to meet people like that."
"It's really interesting working sometimes," Ken Chrobak said, "You'll be passing out sugar and the customers will say, 'no thanks, I have enough from last time.'"
This makes the volunteers feel very good, to see that people only take as much as they need, Ginger Chrobak said.
"Sometimes we get a check from a past user or from like a father whose daughter used (the pantry) one time, those are the things that make you feel good," Ginger Chrobak added "People really need it."
Twice a month the senior bus will take seniors to the food pantry in the afternoon. The homebound can get food delivered, if they have a note from their doctor.
The senior distribution times are nice for seniors, Ginger Chrobak said, because they can take their time and not rush.
Customers can also have their food picked up by a proxy.
A number of people get rides to the pantry for food, Ken Chrobak said. One patron even walked across town with a sled to pick up groceries.
The work doesn't stop with distribution. Volunteers are at the food pantry every morning. "They're so efficient, they are so good," Ginger Chrobak said.
"They've really got it down," Ken Chrobak added.
"Everyone who comes in and uses it, and everyone who volunteers, says it's just wonderful," Ginger Chrobak said.
"This food pantry is community-run and community-used."
"I have to say, people in this community really support this," Ken Chrobak added, noting the pantry has an open book policy as far as finances are concerned, for potential donors.
"If they don't work here, they know someone who does," Ginger Chrobak said. "They feel a sense of ownership, and they know what's going on."
"They know where the money's going," Ken Chrobak added.
"I think that's why we've had such wonderful support," Ginger Chrobak continued. "They can see what's going on."
The food pantry is open for distribution on Mondays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:30 to 1 p.m.
If people are interested in volunteering or donating, "just come in," said Motowski. "It's much easier to see what jobs there are ... and if they're interested, they can start right away. Some come back, and some don't. But they find out, and that's the easiest way to do it."
The Harvest Hoedown, a fundraiser for the pantry, is coming up the first weekend in October and Motowski is hoping for a good turnout. It's a great activity for the whole family, she said. The event will feature activities for all ages, as well as a pig roast, at the Woodpecker Bar and Grill.
Katie Perttunen may be reached at
[email protected].
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