Seasonal Support

Holiday Meals

With your help, WayForward Food Pantry shoppers have the chance to enjoy a festive meal, choosing from holiday favorites and ingredients that are traditional to their families, including turkey, stuffing, gravy, pie, collard greens, ham, curry powder, coconut milk, masa harina and wild rice.

Holiday Baking Baskets

Please drop off Holiday Baking Baskets only from Monday, December 8 to Friday, December 12

Put together a basket or box of shelf-stable and non perishable essentials for holiday baking to donate to our food pantry. All baskets should contain: flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Consider personalizing your baking basket with a special add-on or two such as: decorating sugar or sprinkles, spices like cinnamon, cocoa powder, baking mixes, canned frosting, packets of instant yeast, cookie cutters, oven mitts, spatula, a cookie sheet, or a rolling pin. Have fun and make it festive!

Drop items off items at the WayForward Distribution Center (at the back of the parking lot), 3502 Parmenter Street, from Monday, December 8 to Friday, December 12, during the hours of 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Want more information? Contact Community Engagement Manager Jill Bradshaw, jill@wayforwardresources.org or (608) 836-2751. Download flyer >

GivingTuesday – Dec 2

Create stability for our neighbors by joining us on December 2 for GivingTuesday to raise $75,000 to support our food and housing programs during a time of the highest demands we’ve experienced in our over 45-year history. We’ll spend the day sharing stories about the amazing people who support our mission and how lives can change when we build a community where everyone has access to stable housing and enough nutritious food needed to thrive. Follow us on Facebook to join the fun as we “fill our pantry shelf” throughout the day with a variety of nutritious foods and household essentials.

Back to School Program

What helps kids be ready for the first day of school? Our community! Each year, our Back to School program provides backpacks and supplies to more than 600 students from 4K to college. This effort would not happen without financial support and donations from individuals, organizations, and businesses and the work of our many volunteers. Your support is what makes it possible for kids to start the school year with the essentials they need to succeed.

Thank you to everyone who helped kids start school ready to learn by donating school supplies or funds during the summer of 2025!

Take Action Against Hunger Challenge

Thank you for joining us for some fun and friendly competition in September for Hunger Action Month to raise 25,000 pounds of food!

All month long, we challenged our community to help raise awareness about food insecurity while collecting as much food as possible for WayForward’s pantry. Mark your calendars for September 2026 and start making a plan to take action with your workplace, school, organization, family, friends, or neighbors.