Food Pantry

What You Need To Know

Holiday Hours: The food pantry & clothing center will be closed Saturday, Jan 17, for the holiday. Regular hours will resume Tuesday, Jan 20. 

• Beginning on Tuesday, January 6: In response to feedback from our guests, WayForward is trying out a new lottery system for the pantry line to improve fairness, safety, and comfort for everyone.  See further below on this page for details.
• Dane County residents are welcome to shop in person at WayForward’s food pantry.
• You can use the food pantry as often as you need.
• We require you to register at check-in during your first pantry visit.
• We offer delivery service for eligible, registered clients who live in our service area. We are currently at capacity for delivery (see more info).
• We operate a family garden where food pantry guests can pick up fresh produce and learn how to garden.
• Have questions about the food pantry or delivery? Call us at 608-836-7338.

How To Use The Pantry

• Watch our video with instructions and tour to learn more about how to use the pantry in English and Spanish.

NEW Lottery System For Pantry Line

• Pantry guests are welcome to line up outside the building, but no earlier than fifteen minutes before the pantry and clothing center are scheduled to open.
• Guests may arrive to line up at the pantry at the following times:

• Tuesday – 9:45 am
• Wednesday – 3:45 pm
• Thursday – 9:45 am
• Friday – 8:45 am
• Saturday – 9:45 am

• Ten minutes before opening, a staff or volunteer will distribute tickets with random numbers to people in the line to determine the order for checking in and entering for shopping.
• No matter when guests enter the pantry, they will have access to a variety of food that’s freshly stocked throughout the day.
• Pantry guests who arrive after the lottery is finished will receive the next available pantry entry number and be served on a first-come, first-served basis.
• For folks unable to wait in line, pre-packed bags with either pantry basics or easy-to-eat items are available.
• New guests will need to register at the office before shopping.
• Please contact Maggie Milcarek, Food and Resource Access Director, with questions about the new lottery system at maggie@wayforwardresources.org or (608) 826-3400.

Inclement Weather Policy

WayForward’s food pantry will close if the Middleton-Cross Plains School District is closed. If the school district is not in session, we will make a decision about whether to close by 7 p.m. the day before or by 7 a.m. the morning of a closure. Closures will be posted at the top of our website.

Other Community Assistance

WayForward Resources partners with social workers at several Middleton Cross Plains Area School District schools to provide extra food to give to children who express hunger while at school.

United Way 211 – When you need help and don’t know where to turn simply dial 2-1-1 to reach a Community Resource Specialist. They can provide additional resources about jobs, housing, food pantries, shelters and more.

TEFAP

We participate in The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a federally funded food program administered through the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services. TEFAP is a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and provides food for pantry shelves and meal sites.