Month: May 2024

Bev Goodreau: Being a Volunteer Brings Me Joy

Team


An ad in the St. Agnes Church bulletin asking for help led Bev Goodreau to St. Patrick’s Food Pantry 18 years ago. When St. Patrick’s Food Pantry transitioned to Hope Center Pantry, Bev joined the Hope Center team. She has been a manager for 8 years and finds great satisfaction in feeding the hungry. Here’s her story.

Bev Goodreau, Hope Center Pantry volunteer

“My greatest joy at the pantry is the clients. Seeing the smiles on their faces when they see the generous box of food they receive makes the job even more heartwarming.”

-Bev Goodreau, Hope Center Volunteer and Manager

Upper Michigan Native

I’m a proud Yooper. I was born in Escanaba, Michigan, and raised in Schaffer, Michigan. I attended St. Joe’s Elementary/Middle school and Holy Name High school in Escanaba, Michigan. Go Crusaders!

Family in Colorado and Wisconsin

I married the most wonderful man and had 48 joyous years with him until I lost him to cancer. Together, we have two sons, Marc and Kurt. Marc lives in Denver, CO and is a middle school math teacher; he has two sons, Jack and Sam. Jack lives in Vail, CO and works for Vail’s park and recreation district. Sam lives in Centennial, CO and is a financial administrator for a car leasing company. Kurt lives in Sobieski, WI and is an ATF agent for the state of WI; and has a daughter, Mackenzie and a son, Ben. Mackenzie is a Speech Language Pathologist in Amery, WI. Ben is a Sauk County Sheriff Deputy living in Baraboo, WI.

Happily Retired from Career with Sears

My working career was with Sears. I started as a teletype operator (I’m really dating myself). Soon, I became the HR director, followed by several promotions, and retired as the Operations Manager. I am happily retired.

Church Volunteer and Greeter

I am a member of St. Agnes Parish and volunteer for the parish. You’ll find me as a Greeter at one of the doors any given Saturday at the 4:15pm Mass. I also volunteer for the church festival.

Serving the Community as Pantry Volunteer

Working for Hope Center Pantry has given me much joy and satisfaction. I have met and worked with such amazing volunteers. What a fantastic way to serve my community. God Bless!

Stamp Out Hunger Delivers 10K Pounds of Food

Joan Koehne
volunteers who assisted at Stamp Out Hunger for Hope Center Pantry

On a beautiful Saturday in May the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) held their 30th annual Food Drive, called Stamp Out Hunger. The mail carriers pick up donated food on their routes for the pantries in their neighborhood. Hope Center Pantry is extremely grateful that our Brown County postal carriers collected food for the needy as part of their community service effort.

30 Pantry Volunteers Assist at Stamp Out Hunger

Our Hope Center Food Pantry received approximately 10,000 pounds of food from Stamp Out Hunger. Last year, we received approximately 6,000 pounds from the food drive. We couldn’t have done this without over 30 volunteers. They stepped up to help us with this huge food drive. Some of our volunteers followed the letter carriers to collect food donations. Additionally, some volunteered at the Post Office on Packerland Drive. They took the nonperishable food donations from vehicles and loaded the food into totes.

A Team Effort to Unload, Sort & Store Donations

One of our partner agencies, Serenity House of Green Bay, helped us out at the Post Office this year. The Hope Center Pantry volunteers unloaded the totes, sorted food and put food into our storage area. It was a team effort!

Thankful for This Annual Food Drive

Time and time again, we are overwhelmed by the generosity of our community to help out our Pantry clients that are in need of a little extra help with their groceries. The quality of the items we received from Stamp Out Hunger was unbelievable. Thank you to all that made this happen! To become a Hope Center Pantry volunteer for food drives like Stamp Out Hunger, contact us today. We’re grateful for the outpouring of community support.

Food Donations Pour in from Scouting for Food

Joan Koehne

What do you get when you combine troops of Boy Scouts and a dozen committed volunteers?
Answer: A well-stocked Hope Center Pantry, of course!

Hope Center Pantry volunteers prepare to process food donations from Scouting for Food

Boy Scouts’ 36th Annual Food Drive

The Bay-Lakes Council Boy Scouts of America sponsored the 36th annual Scouting Food drive on Saturday, April 27. Here’s how the food drive worked. The scouts dropped off empty bags at homes in their neighborhood on April 20. The bags included a list of suggested food items to donate. Then, the Boy Scouts collected the food donations on the morning of April 27. They brought the nonperishable food to Lambeau Field to be distributed to pantries in Brown County. (Check out our 2021 Scouting for Food report.)

Pantry Volunteers Process the Food Donations

The Hope Center Pantry received three full totes of food. Twelve volunteers waited eagerly at the Pantry to help unload, sort, and store the food when it arrived. In 75 minutes, we had the job completed. The proverb “Many hands make light work!” is true.

Thanks to the Boy Scouts & Donors

Hope Center Pantry appreciates everyone who donated to Scouting for Food. Additionally, we thank the Boy Scouts for running food drive every year. With these food donations on our shelves, we can help the hungry in the Green Bay community.

Feeding the Hungry of Brown County WI

In 2023, Hope Center Pantry served 370 to 590 clients every month. As the cost of groceries remains high, the Pantry provides valuable assistance to those in need. Hope Center Pantry is open from 1-3pm Monday through Thursday. We serve the hungry in Green Bay and Brown County, Wisconsin. Join us on our mission by donating or volunteering today. Contact us to learn more.

BayCare Clinic Donates Bags to Food Pantry

Joan Koehne
BayCare Clinic donated canvas bags to Hope Center Pantry

Packing food for singles is “in the bag.” In April, BayCare Clinic was kind enough to once again donate 1,100 sturdy canvas bags to Hope Center Pantry. The Pantry uses the bags to package food items for our single clients. Everything fits perfectly in one bag. As an added benefit, our clients can repurpose these durable bags as needed. We appreciate the generosity of BayCare Clinic, Green Bay, and other organizations in Northeast Wisconsin. We are grateful to operate in such a giving community.

Every Donation Makes a Difference

Would your business or nonprofit like to donate to the pantry? Hope Center Pantry leaders can help you organize a nonperishable food drive or collect personal hygiene items or paper products. The need is never-ending, and every donation makes a difference. Contact us to learn more