Author: Joan Koehne

CP Center, Green Bay: Food Drive & Pantry Tour

Joan Koehne
CP Center, Green Bay tours Hope Center Pantry

The Cerebral Palsy Center’s Life Skills class organized a food drive for Hope Center Pantry in February. The class donated 23 bags of food and 10 huge boxes of paper products and personal hygiene items for Pantry clients. All of the donations will help those in need in the Green Bay community.

Students from the CP Center Life Skills class delivered their donations to the Pantry in person on March 3. They toured the Pantry and learned what’s involved in running the Pantry and serving clients. They were all so attentive and respectful during the tour. Afterwards, they helped unpack and sort some of their donations.

This was truly a great experience for all involved. Their caring and compassion makes a positive impact, and we are incredibly thankful for their generosity. Together, we are creating positive change and making a real difference!

Student Learns Social Justice Through Community Service

Joan Koehne
Student volunteer earning community service hours at Hope Center Pantry

Hope Center Pantry is always eager to help students fulfill their Community Service hours for school. Recently, a sophomore at Notre Dame Academy volunteered at the pantry. Brianna needed four hours of volunteering for her social justice community service requirement. She was able to help out at the Pantry doing a little of everything. She stocked shelves, packed client boxes, made chili packs and delivered orders to clients.

Brianna witnessed social justice issues firsthand. She saw the good that comes from Hope Center Pantry serving those in need in Brown County.

Hope Center Pantry is always willing to help youth in our area fulfill their community service requirements. Contact us to schedule volunteer hours.

Women’s Club Fights Hunger in Green Bay

Joan Koehne
women's club donated food to Hope Center Pantry

The Brown County Community Women’s Club (BCCWC) organized a food drive on Jan. 15. BCCWC donated 50 bags of food, along with 21 colorful birthday bags, to Hope Center Pantry. The Pantry truly appreciates the women’s club’s kindness and generosity. Their commitment to helping those in need makes a huge impact on our community. With these food donations, countless families will be able to enjoy nourishing meals. The club’s compassion truly makes the world a better place.

Would your nonprofit organization like to organize a food drive to help fight hunger in Green Bay? Contact us for more information.

Food Drive: Bags for a Brighter Holiday

Joan Koehne
nonperishable food from Save A Lot Food drive

On Jan. 7, 2025, Hope Center Pantry received a call that filled our hearts with gratitude. The Pantry’s neighborhood grocery store, Save A Lot, offered us a substantial amount of food for its holiday food drive. The grocery store collected the food donations during its 7th annual Bags for a Brighter Holiday food drive. This nationwide food drive program is a powerful reminder of how communities can come together to support those in need. The Pantry is honored to be the recipient of this generosity.

Milk Voucher Partnership with Grocer

For over three years, Hope Center Food Pantry has partnered with Save A Lot to provide a simple but essential resource for our pantry clients: pre-paid gallon milk voucher cards. This partnership has allowed us to offer a critical item, fresh milk, in a way that gives our clients the flexibility to choose the milk they prefer when they need it most.

Contact Us to Organize a Food Drive

Together, we’re not just providing food; we’re offering hope, dignity, and the resources our neighbors need to thrive, one meal at a time! Contact us to organize a food drive at your business. Hope Center Pantry relies on food donations from the community year-round. Please consider helping us alleviate poverty and hunger in Green Bay.

Fighting Hunger: Pantry Feeds 16,000 in 2024

Joan Koehne
Landon packing boxes at Hope Center Food Pantry

Thousands of people in Green Bay, Wisconsin, face hunger. They struggled to put food on their tables in 2024. In fact, Hope Center Pantry served a staggering 16,406 people in 2024, according to pantry records. Hope Center Pantry, formerly operating as St. Patrick’s Pantry, is a hunger-relief organization serving Brown County, Wisconsin, since the 1970s. In 2024, the pantry provided food to 4,817 clients, representing 16,406 when factoring in the number of household members. Hope Center Pantry collaborates with other social service organizations to find ways to break the cycle of poverty. We’re making progress, but we still have work to do to end food insecurity for the people in the Green Bay area.

2024 Food Pantry Statistics

  • 4,817 clients served in 2024, a decrease of 111 from 2023
  • 16,406 people served, based on number of people in the clients’ households
  • 87 active food pantry volunteers
  • 751 new clients registered, a decrease of 67 from 2023

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

Hope Center Pantry believes that access to nutritious food is critical to good health and well-being. We strive to get food into the homes of people who need it. We are extremely fortunate to have the support from seven West Side Catholic parishes: Annunciation, St. Agnes, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Joseph, St. Jude, Nativity of Our Lord, and St. Patrick and many others in the community. Join us in fighting hunger in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Please consider a donation of nonperishable food, time, or financial resources. Contact us to learn more.

Humana Foundation Donation: To-Go Meals for Homeless

Joan Koehne
Humana Foundation donated single-serve food items to Hope Center Pantry

On Dec. 5, Hope Center Pantry, Green Bay, was astounded by an extremely generous food donation from the Humana Foundation. The foundation donated to Hope Center Pantry through Feeding America of Eastern Wisconsin. Hope Center Pantry received individual bowls of cereal, cans of macaroni and beef, fruit and grain bars, cheese crackers, peanut butter crackers, canned chicken, individual containers of diced peaches, and jars of peanut butter

Single-Serving Food for To-Go Meals

Humana Foundation provided single-serving, nonperishable foods that are perfect for our meal bags. Hope Center Pantry packs to-go meals for the non-sheltered guests at a Green Bay homeless shelter. We pack each meal with great care.

600 Meals for Non-Sheltered Homeless

At Hope Center Pantry, we know the importance of providing foods that homeless individuals are able to eat with little meal preparation. Humana Foundation’s generous food donation will provide at least 600 meals to the homeless. That’s enough food for non-sheltered guests until summer 2025.

Please Donate Food, Time, or Money

Hope Center Pantry is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, and we welcome the opportunity to collaborate with other Green Bay-area nonprofits. Together, we can make a lasting impact on people in need, including individuals experiencing housing insecurity. Please consider donating food, time, or financial resources to Hope Center Pantry. Contact us to learn more.

Celebrating Families with Meals for Amanda’s House

Joan Koehne
meal at Amanda's House

Mandolin Foundation (a.k.a. Amanda’s House) provides safe and supportive transitional housing for women recovering from trauma, mental health issues, and substance use. The house, located at 825 N. Webster Ave., Green Bay, helps women transform their lives to become independent members of the community.

Feeding Women & Children at Amanda’s House

In fall 2024, Amanda’s House contacted Hope Center Pantry, asking us to contribute to a new initiative, Celebrating Families. Celebrating Families, held on 16 consecutive Sundays, enables resident families to gather in the afternoon to share a meal and learn about a specific educational topic. Amanda’s House representatives asked the pantry to provide food for the first four meals.

Recipes & Ingredients for Family Meals

The Hope Center Pantry was honored to partner with Amanda’s House for Celebrating Families meals. The pantry will provide recipes and ingredients to feed about 10 people. At the end of the 16 weeks, the residents will receive a recipe book that contains recipes for every meal served. What a great way to give residents the tools they need to make healthy meals in their own homes.

Church & Nonprofit Partnerships

Partnerships like these are possible because of the generosity of the Hope Center Pantry donors and volunteers. The Hope Center is a collaboration of seven Green Bay West Side Catholic parishes: Annunciation, St. Agnes, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Joseph, St. Jude, Nativity of Our Lord, and St. Patrick. Hope Center Pantry also works with other churches, businesses, individuals, and nonprofit organizations in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to help break the cycle of poverty. Contact us for more information.

Thanksgiving Turkeys from Feeding America of Eastern Wisconsin

Joan Koehne
Feeding America of Eastern Wisconsin gave Thanksgiving turkeys to Hope Center Pantry

Gathering around the table for a Thanksgiving Day feast is an American tradition. Unfortunately, families facing food insecurity are unable to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday in the traditional manner. That’s when Hope Center Pantry steps in.

A Thanksgiving Meal

In November, Feeding America of Eastern Wisconsin allocated 48 turkeys to the Hope Center Pantry to distribute to our clients in the Green Bay area. The Pantry also gave roasting pans to clients who needed them. In addition to giving away the 48 turkeys and several roasting pans, the pantry also offered clients an array of food to complete their Thanksgiving meal. The pantry distributed stuffing mix, yams (sweet potatoes), pumpkin, gravy, and cranberries. Pantry clients truly appreciated turkeys and Thanksgiving fixings.

Thanks to Feeding America of Eastern Wisconsin

Thank you to Feeding America of Eastern Wisconsin and to everyone who donated nonperishable food. You are such a blessing! Pantry donors helped to make Thanksgiving Day special for so many people in Green Bay. Thank you!