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.

A few months ago, we shared with our community that we were experiencing record demand at our food pantry. Visits had increased nearly threefold in two years. Despite spending more money on food than at any other time in our over 40 year history, we were struggling to keep up with this demand. This was leading to emptier shelves and fewer choices for people in our community who needed food. 

We set a goal of raising $150,000 to buy additional food for our food pantry. And you responded. We greatly appreciate the people in our community who have made donations over these last couple of months. Your response has made a difference. We have been able to purchase more food, meaning there is more food on our shelves ready for the long line of people waiting outside for our doors to open. This could not have been possible without your generosity. 

Once we open our doors, most of the food on the shelves is gone in a few hours. But there’s good news — your ongoing support means we can keep restocking the pantry shelves and keep providing access to nutritious food. We can keep buying more proteins, bread, eggs, milk and other basics people rely on us for. You answered our call to action this summer after we joined forces with 35 other local food pantries and gathered at the state Capitol to release a letter to the community. Our message began with a simple call to action: “Dane County, we need your help.” 

Your response helped us fill a critical food gap. But the pressure on our pantry is not going away. 

Food pantries continue to face a serious challenge as food insecurity rises. Last year we distributed the equivalent of 1.3 million meals, an unprecedented Because You Answered the Call number in the history of our organization. We led this coalition to sound an alarm about the rising demand for food assistance and the need for both immediate community support and longer term solutions to fill the gap. 

The letter from the pantries was published as a full-page ad in the Wisconsin State Journal in June. It was sponsored by United Way of Dane County and the Wisconsin State Journal and supported by Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. 

Our letter explained what is driving demand, including higher food prices, dramatic increases in rent and the fact that federal assistance that helped people make ends meet during the pandemic is gone. In Dane County, which is growing faster than anywhere else in the state, nearly 13% of kids were food insecure in 2022, up from 7.5% in 2021. That was before our food pantries started seeing drastic increases in demand. 

The result of this increased need is pantries are spending more money on food than ever before as the options they have to keep shelves stocked continue to shift and are more limited than they were just a few years ago. Buying food in bulk is more expensive now and the traditional suppliers of free food for pantries can’t keep up with the demand. 

WayForward has worked hard to stretch resources, space, and teams as far as possible. But to keep up with the demand, the pantry has had to increase spending on food by 240% over the last two years. 

The letter from the local food pantries also urged local, county, state, and federal officials, as well as other community leaders, to help find long-term solutions to food insecurity. We were joined at our Capitol press conference by local officials and community leaders, including Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Middleton Mayor Emily Kuhn, Janel Heinrich, Executive Director of Public Health Madison & Dane County, state legislators, county supervisors, and other invited guests. The event drew broad coverage from local media. 

“We can’t do it alone,” the letter said. “It will take all of us to meet this challenge and make sure our neighbors don’t experience hunger. We are committed to doing all we can. We are asking you to join us.” 

It’s not easy to say it, but the need shows no sign of slowing down. Every month here is busier than the one before. We’re going to have to continue to buy more food to meet that need. Having your ongoing support and knowing you’re with us means the world to our staff, volunteers and the people in our community who rely on us for access to food.

 

 

ReMitts, an amazing community partner to WayForward Resources and other food pantries in our community, was recently featured on NBC 15’s morning show with reporter Mackenzie Davis.

Founder Janet Tupy and lead volunteer Ann Nelson shared the story of how the group turns old wool sweaters into colorful and warm mittens, benefiting food pantries in Dane County.

For $40 a pair, the proceeds go directly to three local food pantries, including WayForward.

“No one’s more astonished than I am at how well this has gone over and how much good it’s done for our community,” Tupy said in the interview. “I think it’s great.”

Nelson said each pair takes about three hours to make. “But we know that 100 percent of our effort is going to go toward the food pantry and that makes it worth it,” she said.

WayForward Communications Manager Jenny Price joined Tupy and Nelson to share information about how the need for food in our community continues to grow.

“Since January 2022, the monthly visits for our pantry are up more than 200 percent and that means we’re distributing the equivalent of about 125,000 meals per month from our pantry,” Price told Davis.

You can find ReMitts at WayForward’s Holiday Art Market at FCI on December 2 and 3.

 

 

This is the 10th year that Middleton-based NET (Network Engineering Technologies) has made it easy for its employees to get in on the fun of supporting Winter Wishes and the reason is both simple and powerful.

“We care about our community and we really believe that helping others strengthens those bonds that hold us all together,” says Laura Duffield, NET’s Accounts Receivable Manager, who organizes the effort.

Winter Wishes provides $30 gift cards to participants. It’s a great opportunity for co-workers, teams, families and groups to come together to make the holidays special for people in our community. 

Last year, NET sponsored 100 Winter Wishes participants. This year, the company is increasing its commitment and purchasing gift cards for 200 people. 

About 30 employees typically take part by going out to shop for cards and if they choose to, they can donate small trinkets or stocking stuffers geared toward the age of the recipient to add to the bag with the gift card. Employees also donate wrapping paper to add to the stash recipients can choose from when picking up their gift cards at WayForward so they can wrap up the gifts they buy.

Duffield says the program resonates with employees who started at NET early in their careers and now have families of their own and want to support other parents.

“We’ve all had times in our life where we needed help without judgment or just a little boost to get us through,” Duffield says. “The holidays are hard. … so anything we can do to try to lighten the load for a parent, it just feels so worth it.”

WayForward is seeing increased demand across all of our programs this year and we are expecting a record number of people to sign up and qualify for Winter Wishes this year. Supporting Winter Wishes is a great way to engage your employees during the holiday season and bring joy to others in our community. 

Sign up by December 4 to get matched with participants or donate funds to help purchase gift cards. Have questions? Contact Jill Bradshaw, Community Engagement Manager, at jill@wayforwardresources.org

Hundreds of people in our community live in doubled-up living arrangements — which means they shift indefinitely between the homes of families and friends due to their economic situation. Our new Connections housing program focuses on filling this gap by working with doubled-up households to help them find and maintain stable housing.

 

How is the Connections program funded?

The Connections program is funded primarily by individual and group donations, with some grant funding from United Way of Dane County. Programs like Connections work with people in doubled-up living arrangements who can’t receive federal funding because they don’t meet the definition of homeless defined by those government programs. Because most of MOM’s funding comes from individuals and groups, we are uniquely suited to support this program.

What can community members do to help fund the Connections program?

• Become a Connections sponsor by making a year-long commitment. Your monthly donation can help bridge the gap between what families can afford to pay and the actual cost of rent during the length of the program while they work to remove barriers, regain stability and independently pay rent. Sponsorships for $250 or $500/month are accepted. Sponsors can be acknowledged on our website, social media and print and email newsletters (circulation 8,000).
• Make a donation of a one-time security deposit. A donation of $1,500 covers the entry costs into housing for one family or household, helping them move into a place of their own.
• Make a general donation. Make a donation of any amount to help support the Connections program.

Are there non-monetary ways people can support/give?

• Amazon Wish List. Our Amazon Wish List features basic necessities families need when moving from a doubled up situation to living independently again. Items include sheets, shower curtains and other basics. Order from the wish list and we will deliver the items to program participants.
• Welcome Home Kit. Assemble a kit to welcome families into their new home. Our list of suggested items includes cleaning supplies, trash bags and paper towels. Please verify our current needs before assembling.

Interested in supporting Connections? Contact Leslie at leslie@momhelps.org 

(Image by rawpixel.com)

CONNECTIONS IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Last month we introduced our Connections program in our blog post here. Now that you understand the growing need for this program, we wanted to explain how community members can get involved. Stay tuned for the final blog post of our Connections series to find out how you can support the Connections program!

Who qualifies for the Connections program?

The Connections Housing Program can assist individuals or families that are currently doubled-up but would like to move into their own housing within the MOM service area. The household must meet income eligibility requirements and agree to work through the housing process together with the Connections Case Manager. Any questions about eligibility can be discussed with the Connections Case Manager during referral and intake processes.

What staff are involved with Connections?

MOM has hired Nicole Verhagen as the dedicated Connections Case manager. Nicole joined MOM after providing 2 years of case management support to the Latinx community in Dane County. She is passionate about community development and social justice. Through Connections, she is looking forward to providing opportunities for those households that are in need of stable housing.

Nicole will also be supported by MOM’s Housing Stability Director, Taylor Rozman, and other staff within the Housing Stability Team.

    

How can community members get involved with Connections as a participant?

At this time, most referrals to the program come through community partners, such as school social workers and Joining Forces for Families (JFF) social workers. However, if you or anyone you know is experiencing doubled-up homelessness, you can email Nicole (nicole@momhelps.org) or call MOM (608-836-7338) to make an appointment with a case manager who can help you determine whether you are eligible for the Connections program.

What is the current process if you are accepted into the program?

Incorporating principles of Housing First, the Connections Case Manager works with participants to prioritize finding permanent housing in the initial stages. Together, we complete a housing needs assessment that defines the household’s needs, preferences, and challenges related to the housing searching process. Based on participant preferences, the Case Manager can assist in searching for units, submitting applications, negotiating with property management, and/or providing other types of support to ensure a prompt transition into housing. Connections can provide financial assistance with costs like security deposits or rent, as the household gets settled in their new housing. During the remainder of program participation, the Connections Case Manager continues to check in regularly to hear how things are going and provide support as needed, as participants pursue personal goals and continue improving their quality of life.

(Top image by rawpixel.com)