Last June, we shared a message with you: for the first time in our over forty-year history, we weren’t sure we could meet the need for food in our community. WayForward had led the effort to bring together 36 food pantries from across Dane County to write a letter to the community, which began with, “Dane County, we need your help.” We wrote that food pantries across the county were experiencing drastic increases in demand for food. In just two years, visits to WayForward’s food pantry tripled—and we were struggling to keep up. The letter ran in the Wisconsin State Journal and was read on the steps of the Capitol at a press conference. You responded with immediate generosity. With this increased support, we were able to purchase more food so that guests coming to get food saw choices instead of empty shelves.
What has happened in the year since our letter to the community? Last year, we told you we didn’t expect this increased need for food to go away quickly–and it hasn’t. Two years ago, we gave out over 1.6 million pounds of food—a large jump from the year before. The rise was driven by a growing population, food inflation, and, most importantly, higher rent prices that require people to devote more of their limited income toward rent in order to avoid eviction. Last year, the number of pounds we gave out inched up a little more—setting another record for WayForward. However, this number doesn’t fully represent the increased pressure we felt this year.
Last year, more people came to WayForward than ever before—and they came more frequently. We had, on average, 120 more unique households coming to the food pantry each month. To meet this large increase in visits with only a small increase in food, we have limits in place to stretch our food further. Thanks to your continued support, we’ve never had to turn anyone away—and we’re proud of that. But unfortunately, people are taking on average less food than they did before because less food is available.
There have also been significant changes in how we get food. As demand has increased throughout the county and beyond, our traditional sources of free and reduced-priced food have also struggled to keep up, meaning there are fewer options and smaller amounts of this free and reduced-price food available. To make sure we have a variety of food on our shelves, we must purchase more food—and the food we purchase is more expensive. Last year, we purchased 63% more pounds than just the year before. Combining this with the higher prices means our food purchasing budget has increased drastically—going up more than sixfold in just five years.
What lies ahead next year? We feel encouraged by the increased conversations about housing across Dane County, but we know price relief is not coming in the immediate future. What may be coming in the immediate future, though, is drastic cuts to other food assistance programs. At the time of this writing, the House of Representatives advanced a reconciliation bill that would cut SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) by about 30 percent, nearly $300 billion, over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Nearly 8% of people in Dane County use SNAP to meet their nutritional needs. Without some drastic changes to how systems operate, food pantries would not be able to bridge this gap.
What do all these numbers mean, and what can we do about it? These numbers mean making sure our neighbors have access to nutritious food has never been more challenging. And it means your support is more important than ever. We continue to think creatively about how we can get food to people—and we continue to rely on our community to help us. While we had a record-breaking year in demand for our services last year, it was also a record-breaking year in community support. When we see the Middleton Meals Matter high school students standing outside in the freezing cold at the grocery store collecting food donations for us or when we have donors tell us they see the challenges and are increasing their gift to help us meet them, we feel hope that together we can continue to create stability despite the obstacles. Thank you for making our work possible.
Photo Above: Middleton Meals Matter and Middleton Kiwanis volunteers with the food they collected from a community drive this winter for WayForward Resources pantry.
Valerie Cavanagh, our new Development Director, joined the WayForward Resources team in mid-May. Valerie was introduced to the field of fundraising while serving as an AmeriCorp VISTA member at The ARC of Lane County in Eugene, Oregon. After witnessing how important funding sources are to nonprofits, she has dedicated her fundraising career to connecting donor interests to impactful funding opportunities. Valerie is a seasoned fundraiser with 14 years of experience, including the American Red Cross and The University of Texas at Arlington. Her expertise spans from annual giving, prospect development, donor stewardship to major gifts. Valerie holds a BA in cultural anthropology from Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnesota. Being new to Madison, you may see Valerie exploring the beautiful local landscape with her husband, cheering on her kids in their activities, or attending music offerings while creating choreography to the music in her head. She is also the mother hen of two red moyen poodles and the cutest pair of cats.
WayForward Resources is proud and excited to welcome four new members to our board of directors–Christopher Morris, Andrea Van Nest, Christin Mlsna (pictured left to right), and Tom Qualls (not pictured)!
- Christin Mlsna is the vice president – marketing and communications at J.H. Findorff & Son. Christin has previously served on the board of Logan’s Heart and Smiles.
- Christopher Morris is the vice president of Member Councils at America’s Credit Unions. He has been serving on the leadership council for WayForward Resources.
- Tom Qualls is the community engagement director for the Madison Public Schools Foundation. Tom also volunteers with the Vera Court Neighborhood Center and participates in Leadership Greater Madison.
- Andrea Van Nest leads the Van Nest Group and is the proprietor of Longtable Beer Café in Middleton. She is also the president of the board of directors for the Downtown Middleton Business Association.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude and thanks to three retiring board members–Ginger Benz, Susannah Gustafson, and Brian Hornung!
- Ginger Benz started her term during the pandemic and provided support to make important changes to our board nominations process.
- Susannah Gustafson served in many roles during her three terms, including on the finance committee for all her terms and as board chair for the last year.
- Brian Hornung served three terms, during which time he was instrumental in adapting the WayForward building for new needs during the pandemic and the purchase of the adjacent property. He will continue to be involved with our organization through work with the building committee.
Thank you to our incoming and outgoing board members for sharing your time, talents, and dedication with us. Your leadership is vital to helping create food security and housing stability in our community!
Making a Difference Together
April is Global Volunteer Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the impact of volunteers worldwide. At WayForward Resources, we’re proud to join this global celebration by honoring the extraordinary individuals who make our mission possible.
As our Volunteer Program Manager, Pam Higham, expresses:
“At WayForward Resources, we warmly welcome volunteers as invited guests, valued colleagues, and essential members of the WayForward community. Volunteers generously share their time and talents to create food security and housing stability, contributing across every corner of our organization. I am privileged to witness something beautiful as this unfolds: the spirit of volunteerism uplifts everyone – paid staff, unpaid staff, and those we serve!”
The Impact of Volunteerism in Numbers
- 950 volunteers contributed their time and talents last year
- Volunteers logged nearly 27,000 hours supporting our programs
- Our dedicated volunteers helped serve over 13,000 people a year
- Volunteers support every aspect of our organization, from food pantry operations to administrative support
Meet A Few Of Our Volunteers
Throughout Global Volunteer Month, we’re highlighting the stories of some of our amazing volunteers. Each brings their unique perspective and passion to WayForward Resources, and together, they make our mission possible.
Debbie Loomis
Debbie began volunteering in 2021 during the height of COVID, working in our drive-up food pantry. Since then, she’s spread joy as a holiday Elf at our Holiday Art Market and now welcomes donors at our donation center.
Her inspiration comes from her 95-year-old mother-in-law who volunteered until just weeks before her passing. “Knowing what a need there is in the community and connecting with various donors (many have wonderful stories) keeps me motivated to continue volunteering,” Debbie explains.
The moments that stay with her are deeply human connections. She treasures interactions with donors who are donating items from loved ones who have passed away, or former clients giving back. “I’m always so touched that at such times of great sadness they are able to think of us at WayForward and share their story with me.”
One of her favorite memories? “A donor’s little girl, probably around 7 years old, donated a couple pairs of her sparkly shoes. She was speaking Spanish and I was able to thank her and tell her what pretty eyes she had in her language, earning a big hug from her!”
When asked what she would say to someone considering volunteering with WayForward, Debbie’s advice is simple: “Just do it!! It’s so rewarding and the people you work with are all amazing, passionate, and fun!”
Linda Pils
Linda’s journey with WayForward began through community food drives. “I started volunteering because I was part of a community that made food collections a priority and then donated the food to WayForward,” she explains. As her understanding of food insecurity grew, so did her commitment to our mission.
Every Thursday afternoon, you’ll find Linda at the milk, eggs, and meat coolers, serving our diverse community. She shares, “Some are hesitant and just learning where food is stored, some are old friends and we chat about how their kids are doing or how was work that day.”
For Linda, volunteering brings a special kind of fulfillment: “When my shift is completed, I don’t leave with a full grocery basket, but I do leave with a full heart.”
It’s the simple expressions of gratitude that make the experience so meaningful. As Linda puts it, “Volunteering is rewarding, it is the many ‘Thank you, for being here’ comments that fill me up, reinforcing the graciousness of our guests.”
Mike Glassford
Mike joined our volunteer team just one year ago in March 2024. His motivation? “To give back to the community and serve others in my retirement.” This simple yet powerful purpose has made a meaningful difference to countless pantry guests.
Like many of our volunteers, Mike has been touched by the resilience of those we serve. He shares, “One of our guests told me she and her children just moved into a house after being homeless for a year and WayForward had helped her through that rough time and is still helping them now. She was filled with tears when she told me this story and it touched my heart.”
What keeps Mike coming back week after week? “All the great people I work with. Such a wonderful atmosphere and love for helping others. I have also made some new friends there and that is great to me.”
To all our volunteers: Thank you for being essential members of our community. Your generosity creates ripples of positive change that extend far beyond the hours you contribute. You are the heart of WayForward Resources, and we are deeply grateful for your commitment to creating food and housing security in our community.
Join Our Volunteer Team
Inspired by these stories? We invite you to consider joining volunteers like Mike, Debbie, Linda, and the nearly 950 others who make our work possible. Whether you can give an hour a week or a day a month, your time makes a difference.
Some Current Volunteer Opportunities:
- Donor Greeter: Represent WayForward to food and clothing donors with a kind & friendly demeanor as you welcome donors and accept, weigh, and record donations.
- Food Rescue Volunteer Driver: Drive WayForward vehicles or your own to pick up food from local retail partners and unload at WayForward.
- Clean Team – Food Pantry & Clothing Center: Help make the Food Pantry shine for those we serve and maintain best practices for health and safety.
- Food Pantry Inventory Support: Join our morning team to safely label and store incoming food and ensure pantry inventory is maintained and organized.
- Guest Helper – Meat/Eggs/Dairy: Kindly hand out meat selections and limited dairy items or eggs to food pantry guests.
- Guest Greeter: Warmly welcome food pantry guests, explain the pantry flow, and offer assistance as needed.
For more information about volunteering with WayForward Resources visit our Become A Volunteer page or contact our Volunteer Program Manager, Pam Higham, by email or phone (608) 826-3409.
Sandra* has a disability that causes her a lot of pain. She relies on her electric wheelchair to get around and maintain independence. When Sandra’s enhanced FoodShare benefits ended, she couldn’t afford to buy both healthy food and pay her electric bill. Sandra faced a difficult choice: purchase food or keep her power on—the power she needed not just for basic living but also for her mobility.
Sandra contacted WayForward Resources for help preventing her power being disconnected. WayForward was able to send some funds toward her electric bill and provided her with food deliveries from our pantry twice a month. “It’s been a huge help,” Sandra tells us.
Her story reflects the stark challenges faced by Americans with disabilities in meeting their basic needs. According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service (2023), food insecurity affects 33% of U.S. households with an adult who is out of the labor force due to disability, compared to just 10% of households without adults with a disability. This means households with an adult with a disability are over three times more likely to struggle with consistent access to adequate food.
The connection between disability and food insecurity is further documented by Feeding America’s 2022 research. Among the 79 million older adults over 60 in the United States, those with disabilities experience food insecurity at more than twice the rate of older adults without disabilities. These statistics highlight how disabilities can create compounding challenges, often forcing people to choose between essential needs like food, medicine, and utilities.
Your donations to WayForward help neighbors like Sandra maintain their independence and access to nutritious food. When you give, you provide critical support that provides housing stability and food security, and helps our community members meet their basic needs.
*A representative photo and name have been used to maintain client confidentiality