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Thank you to everyone who contributed food and funds to support WayForward’s food pantry–ensuring we were able to continue to have food available for our neighbors throughout the difficult couple of weeks during the SNAP benefit delay. Together, we collected an amazing 87,851 pounds of food (the equivalent of 67,111 meals) from donation drop-offs, organized food drives, and our online wish list between October 21 and December 8. This amount of food is nearly three times the amount donated during the same period last year.

On behalf of all of us at WayForward Resources, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for the partnership and leadership of the City of Middleton, Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, Middleton Chamber of Commerce, and Downtown Middleton Business Association in the Community-Wide Food Drive.  A very special thank you to Middleton District 6 Alder Lisa Janairo, who was instrumental in envisioning, activating, and coordinating the Community-Wide Food Drive. This collective effort truly shows the impact we can have when we work together to create food security—and how together, we can make it through tough times.

When the federal government shutdown delayed SNAP benefits, putting people’s ability to feed themselves and their families at risk, our community responded—making sure that no one would have to experience hunger. During this time of uncertainty, WayForward’s pantry saw a significant increase in demand. On one of the Thursdays during that time, we gave out nearly 13,000 pounds of food—the highest amount in a single day this year. The uncertainty created by the SNAP benefit delay also led to 171 new households signing up to use the food pantry for the first time during October 21-November 8. Prior to this, we had already been seeing the highest demand in our organization’s over 45-year history.

As we look to the future, there is still a lot of uncertainty. But thanks to the support of our community, we were able to have food available through this recent crisis, and we will continue to provide nutritious food, now and in the future. We believe that together, we can create stability in our community, even in the midst of uncertainty around us. Thank you for joining us in our work together—and for continuing to inspire us with your generosity and committed partnership.

“I was raised by a single mom who often relied on food stamps and food pantries. Back then, that usually meant generic food, a block of cheese, evaporated milk, and little else. The shame of poverty and the lack of choice stuck with me.

When I left a difficult family situation and joined the Army, I saw firsthand as a cook how food can boost morale and dignity. That’s why I’m proud to support WayForward’s client-choice model. It gives families the power to choose what they need, which brings dignity and hope to a process that once felt so limiting.
For me, supporting WayForward means ensuring no one feels the shame I once did. It means giving people choice, respect, and a better path forward.

Join me this GivingTuesday in supporting WayForward. Together, we can make dignity part of every meal!”

Christopher Morris
WayForward Resources Board Member and Volunteer

(pictured second from the left in the photo)

You can join community members like Chris on GivingTuesday to create stability. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram on December 2.

“I give to WayForward Resources because I believe everyone in our community should have access to food and stable housing to thrive. I can’t imagine facing a hardship like an illness or job loss, and suddenly not having enough food to feed my family or not having a safe place to sleep at night. WayForward’s work is more important than ever in this time of unreliable federal funding, when political decisions are having real and profound impacts on the lives of individuals and families in our neighborhoods. With our support, WayForward can provide critical services to our neighbors to meet their basic needs and find stability. I am proud to support WayForward, as a donor and Board Member, in the great work they do to make our community better for us all.”

Jennifer Wagner
WayForward Resources Board Member

You can join community members like Jen on GivingTuesday to create stability. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram on December 2.

We are at an unprecedented moment. Without significant federal action, SNAP benefits, known as FoodShare in Wisconsin, will not be distributed beginning November 1. Nearly 65,000 people in Dane County relied on SNAP benefits at some point last year to access basic food. Many people— including our neighbors right here in Middleton — will need to turn to food pantries for their basic nutrition needs. In our community, that is WayForward Resources. WayForward is already seeing increased demand as people prepare for what lies ahead. Food pantries aren’t the long-term solution—SNAP distributes nine meals for every one meal a pantry provides. But pantries are a critical stopgap for people who need food now.

The City of Middleton, Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, Middleton Chamber of Commerce, and Downtown Middleton Business Association are partnering to share two important messages throughout our community:

  1. For those impacted by the SNAP delay, WayForward does have food available now. The food pantry is located at 3502 Parmenter Street. If you need food, learn how to access it here.
  2. To ensure that people in our community continue to have access to food not just today, but tomorrow and into the future, we must act together. Please join us in a community-wide food drive to help our neighbors. Learn about how you can drop off nonperishable food items at WayForward during open hours. You can also make a donation today or purchase food items online here.

WayForward will accept nonperishable food donations during extended hours for the following:

Additional Drop-Off Location

Together, we can make sure our neighbors don’t go without food while we wait for the federal government to restore SNAP benefits.

Thank you very much for helping to strengthen our community.

We will be providing updates to this page as they become available.

WayForward in the News
Scroll further down in this page for recent press

Updated 11/14/25
Thank You, Community, for Your Response!

Thanks to the amazing response of our community, we were able to continue to have food available for our neighbors throughout the difficult last couple of weeks. Between October 21 and November 8, our community collected and donated 39,418 pounds of food to the WayForward Resources food pantry. During the same time period, our pantry distributed nearly one and a half times as much food as we did during the same period last year. Just last Thursday, we gave out nearly 13,000 pounds of food – the highest amount in a single day this year. The uncertainty created by the SNAP benefit delay also led to 171 new households signing up to use the food pantry for the first time.

As we look to the future, there is still a lot of uncertainty. Many of the people who visit our food pantry remain nervous. Having recently lost access to food so suddenly, they worry about the reliability of the benefits in the future. Under the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” 90,000 Wisconsinites are at risk of losing SNAP benefits in 2026. This would lead to increases in demand at food pantries. There is also uncertainty around TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) food, which accounts for approximately 10% of our food at WayForward, being delayed in the months ahead due to a pause in the process created by the government shutdown.

Even before the SNAP benefit delay, WayForward was experiencing record-high demand for food at our pantry, with four times as many visits as we had just four years ago. Some of the causes for these increases are population growth in our area, higher food prices, and rising housing costs (rent has increased 47% in the past five years). Because people have to put more of their limited dollars toward rent, they have little left over for other basic necessities, and so are depending on food pantries to fill the gap. Our housing programs are also feeling increased pressure. In October, WayForward experienced our highest demand for emergency housing assistance ever. All of this means that, while we are thrilled that SNAP benefits have been restored, we remain concerned about the future.

What the last few weeks have shown us, though, is that as a community, we can make it through hard times together. We were able to continue providing food through the SNAP delay thanks to the support of our community, and we believe that together, we can create stability in our community, even in the midst of uncertainty around us.

Updated 11/7/25

The past two weeks have been like no other weeks in WayForward’s history. It has been a time of uncertainty and constantly changing news, of fear, and great need in our community — and of incredible support from our community for neighbors facing food insecurity. Thank you for your response over the past couple of weeks.

We are relieved that Gov. Evers announced late last night that his administration has immediately moved to pay full November payments for all Wisconsin FoodShare members after a federal court ordered the Trump administration to stop withholding SNAP payments to states and directed the administration to use billions of dollars in readily available federal funding to provide food assistance payments to millions of Americans. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services posted this morning that full November FoodShare benefits are now available on QUEST cards.

We hope that with this step, we have avoided a potential humanitarian crisis–at least for this moment. There is still fear and uncertainty for people using our pantry because of the continued federal shutdown and no backup SNAP plan for December. Your support will remain important as we continue to wait for the federal government to open and fully restore SNAP benefits. It will also be important in the months ahead. Over the past several years, WayForward Resources and food pantries across Dane County have seen ever-rising numbers of visits, with the highest demand in our over 45-year history. With housing and grocery prices rising, wages not keeping up, and significant SNAP cuts on the horizon due to the “Big Beautiful Bill,” we expect high demand to continue. We appreciate the amazing response of the community over the last several weeks. Your partnership has been critical in sustaining our work of creating food security during a very challenging moment. We know that we can face what lies ahead together and that together we can ensure our neighbors don’t experience hunger in the months to come.

Updated 11/5/25

Thank you community for your response so far! As the SNAP delays continue, your support is vital now and in the weeks to come in sustaining people in our community who need food now. Yesterday alone, we gave out over 10,000 pounds of food. We are consistently seeing some of our highest days of demand. We are also seeing many new people registering to use the food pantry for the first time.

We are temporarily pausing donations to our Clothing Center until December 1. While we appreciate these donations, our staff and volunteers need to fully focus on food distribution. We have also reached our capacity to store clothing that can’t go out on the Clothing Center floor because we need to ensure we have enough room in the warehouse for food donations. Our Clothing Center will continue to be open for people in the community.

We have been told recently that the $4.6 billion in contingency funding could take weeks to be released and go out to people in our community. Here at WayForward, we are bracing for the possibility of a more long-term disruption. Your support is essential in helping us continue to be a stopgap while we wait for SNAP benefits to be restored.

Press Release | November 4, 2025
Delayed SNAP Benefits Cause Significant Increases in Demand at Area Food Pantries

Updated 11/3/25
SNAP benefits lapsed on November 1.

A federal judge ordered on Friday that the Trump administration must release the $5 billion contingency fund to pay SNAP benefits while the federal government is shut down. The lawsuit was brought by a coalition of states including Wisconsin. At this point, the timeline of when these funds will be available is unclear. The contingency funds won’t cover an entire month of SNAP benefits although their release will make a significant difference in easing pressure on food pantries.

Wisconsin Gov. Evers has declared a state of emergency as the shutdown continues.

Follow Wisconsin Department of Heath’s website for specific information about Wisconsin FoodShare (the name of Wisconsin’s SNAP program) program.

Updated 10/27/25

What’s Happening With SNAP Benefits

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has shared that due to the federal government shutdown, November FoodShare benefits will be delayed. FoodShare is Wisconsin’s name for the federally funded SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) program, America’s largest anti-hunger program which includes monthly government benefits to low-income households to help them purchase food. It is 100% federally funded. In Dane County, 64,473 people received SNAP benefits in 2024. Letters were mailed to current SNAP recipients on October 22 letting them know of this issue. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is encouraging SNAP recipients to learn about other sources of food in their area–sources like WayForward’s food pantry.

While WayForward will do everything we can to provide people access to food and bridge the gap (see more on this below), we want to be clear: pantries like WayForward Resources are not and cannot be the solution to this problem. For every one meal provided through a Feeding America food bank or food pantry, SNAP provides nine. And food pantries are already stretched thin. WayForward, one of the largest food pantries in Dane County, served 15,000 people last year, the most ever in our history. We have four times as many visits as we did just four years ago and are purchasing six times as much food. This amount of growth in demand is already challenging. While we can serve as an emergency stopgap, food pantries alone can’t solve this problem.

The only real solution to the current situation must come through the federal government. Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, stated on October 24: “The resources available through the USDA, like funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), are invaluable to our neighbors across the country, and we implore Secretary Rollins and federal leaders to use all available avenues to protect families impacted by the ongoing shutdown, without delay.” This is referencing $5 billion in contingency funding that many policy experts believe could be released immediately to cover SNAP benefits. Feeding America also stated, “Food is foundational for all of us, and for each of us, and politics should not separate people from the food that they need to thrive.”

WayForward experienced an over 75% increase in demand last Friday alone. Although benefits have not yet been delayed, SNAP recipients are nervous and are starting to stock up on food in preparation. Guests have told WayForward volunteers that they are preparing to eat less, skip meals and get more food from WayForward to make it through.

What WayForward is doing:
WayForward Resources will do everything we can to provide food to people facing food insecurity and hunger in our community. Creating stability has always been our mission and during this time of incredible instability we continue to be committed to fulfilling our mission. We are following the situation closely and exploring all avenues to respond including securing additional resources. We will remain open five days a week with food on our shelves. We will also continue our every-other-week delivery program for all enrolled households.

We are increasing the amount of food we are purchasing and are identifying creative ways to store this additional food. We are increasing staff presence in the food pantry to provide additional support to volunteers. We are also exploring additional ways to make basic food available to people who need it.

What you can do:
With your support, we can bridge a gap and provide basic food. Make a donation today to help us provide basic food for people in our community. You can see our list of food the pantry accepts here with our top 10 list here or purchase food items online here. Because of the urgency and condensed timeline of this situation, financial donations are most appreciated right now because they allow us to focus spending on most needed items.

More critically, we all need to advocate for restored federal funding for SNAP. Only federal government support can provide the long-term solution to this problem.

We are in this together.

WAYFORWARD IN THE NEWS

City Cast Madison | November 13, 2025
How Madison Food Pantries are Weathering a Storm of Uncertainty

Channel 3000 (News 3 Now) | November 7, 2025
SNAP benefits released to Wisconsin before Supreme Court block

Press Release | November 4, 2025
Delayed SNAP Benefits Cause Significant Increases in Demand at Area Food Pantries

Isthmus | November 4, 2025
With FoodShare benefits delayed, Madison food pantries seeking donations of money, food, time

WMTV 15 News | October 30, 2025
WayForward Resources gives insight into growing concerns about FoodShare benefits

Wisconsin State Journal | October 30, 2025
Southern Wisconsin food pantries brace for more visits if SNAP benefits are paused

Wisconsin State Journal | October 28, 2025
Wisconsin food pantries cannot replace federal SNAP benefits

Channel 3000 (News 3 Now) | October 24, 2025
Local food pantries brace for food stamp delay

WMTV 15 News (Now at 10) | October 24, 2025
Madison nonprofits concerned as SNAP benefits may be delayed with government shutdown

City Cast Madison | October 24, 2025
Snap Benefits in Peril

Create stability for people in our community. Your support prevents evictions and provides food access.

After years in an abusive relationship. Madeline* made the decision to leave her partner and get a fresh start for herself and her children. However, as a stay-at-home mom, she had no income, and her partner controlled the household finances. On her own, she couldn’t afford the apartment her family was living in.

Fortunately, Madeline reached out to WayForward Resources and connected with a case manager. She discussed her need to find work, childcare, and an affordable place to live for her family. She also wanted to stay in her current neighborhood to allow her kids to remain focused and engaged in school and connected to their friends.

Together, she and her case manager worked on a planned move with these goals in mind. WayForward provided financial assistance that Madeline applied toward the remaining months’ rent at the too­-expensive apartment and offered our food pantry as a resource option, which could allow her to save funds to pay the security deposit at a new place. Madeline and her family’s new apartment is much more affordable and still within her children’s school district.

Domestic violence is a leading cause of housing instability and homelessness for women. Survivors are often forced to leave their homes to escape abuse, only to then face barriers in obtaining and maintaining safe housing, including limited access to financial resources and discrimination by housing providers. Women who experience violence are also disproportionately more likely to experience food insecurity than the general population. Food security plays a vital role in a person’s well-being, affecting school, employment, and health outcomes.

With record demand for our food and housing services, your support is needed now more than ever.

Our food pantry is experiencing four times as many visits as we had only four years ago, and distributing the equivalent of over 112,000 meals a month. Last year over we invested 161% more funds across all of our housing programs from five years ago. [updated 11/24/2025]

Your support helps families like Madeline’s feel safe and stabilized in their new beginnings.

Join us in building a strong community where everyone has enough food to eat and a warm place to sleep. Donate today to make a difference. Thank you!

Donate Now

*A representative name and photo have been used to protect client confidentiality.

UPDATE: After May 1, 2025, if you haven’t re-registered already, you’ll be able to do so when you arrive before shopping.

+++
We are updating our food pantry check-in system. This means all food pantry guests must re-register before May 1, 2025, even if you already have a WayForward card. Please bring your WayForward card to re-registration.

You do not need an ID or any documents to register.

To make it easy, we have special re-registration days in April. If you come on one of these days, you may get a $10 Walmart gift card (while supplies last).

Re-Registration Dates:
April 9: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
April 10: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
April 15: 12:00 am – 2:00 pm
April 18: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
April 22: 12:00 am – 2:00 pm
April 24: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Starting May 1, if you haven’t re-registered, you must do so before shopping. If you have any questions, please call our main office at 608-836-7338 and ask for Meghan Sohns, our Senior Director of Programming.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

A year-end message from WayForward Executive Director Ellen Carlson

It’s been another year of unprecedented growth at WayForward. For an organization that focuses on providing the basic building blocks of stability–food and housing, growth is both positive and negative.

On one hand, we have made an impact on more people’s lives than ever before. Thanks to the support of the community, we have been able to serve over 13,000 people last year–more than twice as many as the year before. That means twice as many people have been able to avoid eviction and stay in their homes and have received the nutritious food they need.

On the other hand, our organizational growth has been driven by the tremendous rise in demand for our services. That’s why unprecedented growth is also cause for concern. We are seeing three times as many visits to our food pantry as we did just two years ago, and our case managers are booking emergency housing appointments out weeks in advance.

Numbers like these mean many visitors are coming to our food pantry for the first time. In fact, 50% of people who came to the food pantry last year were first-time visitors. Children and families with children are overrepresented. Around 75% percent of people who received food were in households with children. And nearly 100% of families served by our Connections program, a housing program that works with those in doubled-up housing situations, have children.

Key factors in this increased demand for our services include the rise in food prices, the population growth in Dane County and in Middleton and west Madison specifically, and perhaps most significantly, the increase in housing prices in our area. While we have a very low unemployment rate in Dane County, many of these jobs don’t pay enough to cover the rising cost of living here. Community members who were just barely making ends meet before are now unable to absorb a $150/month rent increase. With no increase in pay and nowhere cheaper to rent, they are turning to WayForward to bridge the gap.

These are big problems–problems that are greater than anything WayForward can address alone. And with the affordable housing gap widening and housing prices continuing to rise, we expect the number of people unable to cover the basic expenses of food and housing to continue to grow. We are committed to continuing to adapt, innovate and expand and to do all we can to make sure people have the food and stable housing they need to lay a solid foundation.

We also know that problems that are larger than us require solutions that are larger than us. We have already seen the community responding with growing support. Thank you. As we have shared with you what we are seeing, we are continuously met with offers to join the effort to build a strong community where everyone has the basic building blocks of stability. Because of your support, we have raised more dollars and brought in more community donated food this year than any previous year in our history. This is what has made it possible for us to serve more people than ever before.

In the months and years ahead, we will continue to need your support. As we expect to see demand continuing to increase, the only way we can meet it is with increased support. There are a number of ways you can still make a tax-deductible financial donation this year. Donations of your time or donations of food can also make an immediate difference. You can purchase items directly from our wish list or use our top 10 list to purchase items locally.

Donations like these help us address the immediate needs of the people coming in our doors every day. But we know that we must do more and dig deeper to address the larger issues that are leading to this increased need for food and housing support in our community. We invite you to learn more about these issues and add your voice to the conversations to develop larger, community-wide solutions. We will be hosting some opportunities in this coming year and sharing some opportunities hosted by others.

Our mission statement says we bring the community together to create food and housing security. We know the only way to create stability is through a community-wide effort. Thank you for joining with us this past year. We look forward to continuing to work together in 2025.

Sincerely,

Ellen Carlson, Executive Director

Donate

“I love the idea of supporting a cause that matters to me on Giving Tuesday. Middleton, Cross Plains and the greater West side of Madison is a wonderful community, yet there are many who struggle to feed their family or keep up with rent. I feel a personal connection to make my donation local and help those in my own community. WayForward has seen demand triple in the food pantry over the past two years. As I have learned while serving on the Board of Directors, food selection and availability have also become more of a challenge. We have all faced times of difficulty and challenge, supporting our neighbors in times of need is what makes our community strong. If you are able, please consider making a Giving Tuesday donation. Your donation, of any size, will make a difference.”

Kate Nisbet, WayForward Resources Board Member
(Pictured on the far right in photo)

You can join community members like Kate by making a difference on Giving Tuesday. Follow along on Facebook on December 3rd!

When Silver Lining Taekwon-do held its first Black Belt test in May 2017, staff, friends and families of the eleven Black Belt candidates donated funds to WayForward Resources (then-Middleton Outreach Ministry).

Since then, the Middleton martial arts school’s twice-a-year black belt tests have also served as a mini-fundraiser to support WayForward’s food and housing programs, with owners Mathiam and Laura Mbow matching contributions.

“At Silver Lining Taekwon-Do, we believe in the power of community and being there for one another.  We believe that when everyone does better, we all do well,” the couple writes. “It is for that reason that we are proud to be a supporter of WayForward which does so much goodness in our community helping those who are less fortunate. Thank you, WayForward for all you do and you can always count on Silver Lining Taekwon-Do to help in any way we can.”