Author: Joan Koehne

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!

Transform Lives: Volunteer Leaders Needed for Food Pantry

Joan Koehne
Volunteer Director Chris Clemens at Hope Center Pantry

A Green Bay food pantry is urgently seeking volunteers to lead the pantry into the future. Hope Center Pantry, a collaboration of seven Catholic parishes on Green Bay’s west side, feeds about 500 families a month. That’s totally doable for the pantry which started out as St. Patrick’s Food Pantry nearly 30 years ago. Hope Center Pantry, 505 Clinton St., is open from 1-3pm Monday through Thursday.

Christian Service to Others

Pantry Directors Janice and Chris Clemens said Hope Center Pantry provides quality food in a humble, Christian way.

“Serving others is a direct response to our faith. We see Christ present in the hungry,” Janice said.
She said pantry recipients are so appreciative of the food they receive and the manner in which it’s given.
“We give them something to eat, with dignity, in a good, loving environment,” she said. “When they come to the pantry, they’re welcomed. We try to build them up in the short time we have them there.”

Seeking Volunteer Leaders for 2025

To continue to do its vital work in the community, the pantry is seeking new volunteers to guide it forward. Chris and Janice will step down in May 2025, so the pantry is reorganizing and preparing for the future. Recently, the pantry’s succession-planning board divided the director duties into nine positions and wrote job descriptions for each. The positions require a commitment of several hours per week or several hours per month. So far, four of the nine positions have been filled.

Hope Center Pantry is actively searching for volunteers to:

  • Maintain Client Data
  • Keep the Pantry Stocked
  • Write a Quarterly Newsletter
  • Organize the Pantry
  • Coordinate Volunteer Leaders

Janice and Chris developed systems, checklists, and databases to streamline operations, which will make newcomers’ roles easier.

“It’s their choice whether they want to use our procedures or revise them their own way. This is a starting point,” Janice said. Janice and Chris plan to remain with the pantry as volunteers.

Food Pantry Feeds 1,500 Every Month

Currently, the pantry is a self-sustaining, well-established, and smooth-running operation. About 100 volunteers serve 1,500 family members every month. The pantry volunteers have opportunities to build friendships and experience the joy of working together to help others.

Contact Us to Continue the Pantry’s Mission

Hope Center Pantry collaborates with other social service organizations to find ways to break the cycle of poverty. Anyone interested in information about leadership roles can email hopecenterpantrygb@gmail.com or call 920-437-3356.

“I think there are people who can do these jobs just fine. All we need is to talk to them,” Janice said. “Volunteering at the panty is so rewarding. We can see the difference we are making just by the smiles on people’s faces. Please contact us if you can help out.”

Elks Lodge Makes Birthdays Brighter

Joan Koehne
Birthday bags for Hope Center Pantry from Elks Lodge

All children deserve a happy birthday, and Hope Center Pantry and our donors help to make birthdays special. Every week, we ask the clients at the Pantry if they have any children aged 10 and under who are having a birthday that month. If the children are celebrating a birthday, the Pantry gives the family a birthday bag. A birthday bag typically includes a cake mix, frosting, candles, and an age-appropriate toy.

Elks Lodge Deliver 8 Birthday Bags

On Veteran’s Day, the Green Bay Elks Lodge #259 delivered eight elaborate birthday bags. The birthday bags included all the basics, plus plates, napkins, a birthday card and a covered disposable cake pan. How thoughtful was that? We were truly humbled when the Elks presented the bags to us. Their donation certainly will make the children feel extra special on their birthday! 

Do Your Part to Support Hope Center Pantry

Hope Center Pantry invites other nonprofit organizations like the Elks Lodge to prepare birthday bags for our clients. For information about birthday bags or other donations to the pantry, contact us today.

Souper Run: Green Bay Running Club Chases Down Hunger

Joan Koehne
logo for Green Bay Running Club

The Green Bay Running Club is making an impact on hunger. On Oct. 28, the Green Bay Running Club presented Hope Center Pantry with seven large boxes of nonperishable food and a monetary donation. One of the members recently hosted a “Souper Run.” Runners were encouraged to bring canned food or a monetary donation for Hope Center Pantry. The runners sure came through!

Green Bay Running Club Donates to Pantry

The Green Bay Running Club’s Souper Run shows how an organization can extend a helping hand while building healthy habits through exercise. We thank the club for its generosity and invite other nonprofit organizations to likewise give back to the community.

Host a Food Drive or Hygiene Supply Drive

Hope Center Pantry is so grateful to all organizations that organize food drives. Follow the example of the Elks, Scouts, Brown County Women’s Club, and National Association of Letter Carriers. If your school, business, or nonprofit is interested in organizing a food drive or hygiene supply collection drive for Hope Center Pantry, please contact us. Help us serve and guide those who are in need in the Green Bay area.

Green Bay School Donates Books to Pantry

Joan Koehne
books from Green Bay School donated to Hope Center Pantry

Tank Elementary School in the Green Bay Area Public School District closed at the end of the 2023-24 school year. Because of the closure, the school ended up with a large number of extra books. Thankfully, they chose to share the books with us. The pantry received a HUGE donation of almost 1,000 books in mid-July. Hope Center Pantry typically doesn’t accept donations of books. But when the Green Bay Area School District offered us the books, we thought our clients could use them. So, we gratefully accepted the donated books.

School Books Find Good Homes

Every day in the summer and fall, we pushed a cart loaded with books outside during pantry hours. Clients were overjoyed to browse through them! They took as many books as they wanted. A few months later, the pantry has only about 25 books left. It makes our hearts happy to know these books found good homes.

Consider a Donation to Hope Center Pantry

Does your school, business or nonprofit want to donate non-food items to the pantry? Typically, the pantry accepts nonperishable food, paper products, and personal hygiene products. However, we are open to accepting atypical donations, too. Let us know what you have on hand to donate. In turn, we’ll let you know if we’d like to accept the donation. To view our wish list of items needed at the pantry, visit How You Can Help.

We are so grateful to Green Bay Area School District and all of our generous donors.

Fred Lamont: Retired Physician Who Enjoys Volunteering

Joan Koehne
Fred Lamont, retired physician and volunteer at Hope Center Pantry

At age 82, Fred Lamont is an admirable example of giving back to his community! In his career, Fred was an internal medicine physician. He and his wife, Kathy, adopted two sons from Russia. When Fred retired in 2000, the boys were 11 and 12 years old. Therefore, travelling extensively in retirement was not an option.

Literacy Tutor and Clinic Volunteer

Until two years ago, he volunteered at the NEW Community Clinic one morning a week. He started tutoring for Literacy Green Bay when he retired and still tutors there today. He was ready to start volunteering at St. Patrick’s Pantry when he fractured his ankle. That put his pantry volunteering on hold as he first had to let his ankle heal after surgery.

Securing a New Home for Hope Center Pantry

As a member of the Spirituality Group at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (SEAS) Parish, Fred worked with the group and Fr. Don Everts at the Quad Parishes to secure a new site for the pantry. With the help of fundraising, they were able to purchase a credit union building on Green Bay’s west side. Fr. Don assembled a team to remodel the building to accommodate the pantry and Love Life West. This building is now called the Hope Center Pantry. The new building was a huge improvement over the old location since it has no stairs and much more room.

Rewarding Experiences as a Pantry Volunteer

Fred began volunteering at the pantry at the current site. He is scheduled to work at the pantry on Mondays once or twice a month. However, with back issues, Fred isn’t able to do heavy lifting. He sorts donations and fills client orders. He also brings the food donations from SEAS Parish over to the pantry a couple times a month and usually stays to help sort the donations. His volunteer experience at the pantry has been great and very rewarding.

Fred’s Philosophy of Volunteering

As a pantry volunteer, Fred has come to realize that volunteers are needed more and more. His volunteering philosophy is as follows:

  1. What needs to be done?
  2. What can I do physically to serve others as Jesus did?

Once a volunteer answers these questions, then they should pick two or three charities to volunteer for and get to work. Fred encourages others to volunteer at the Hope Center Pantry (formerly St. Patrick’s Pantry).

“It is a nice place to work, and the needs there are growing,” he said.

Are you ready to join Fred and the other volunteers who are feeding the hungry of Green Bay, Wisconsin? Contact us today to learn about the volunteer opportunities available at Hope Center Pantry.

Serenity House: Leading People to Recovery

Joan Koehne
Hope Center Pantry resource table at Serenity House


On Sept. 8, the Hope Center Pantry set up a resource table at Serenity House in Green Bay. The sober-living home celebrated the opening of a second location, and we were honored to participate in the special event. It warmed our hearts to see the outpouring of support from neighbors and friends at the open house. The Pantry provides food to residents as needed, as the residents work to make positive changes in their lives. We are glad that we can partner with this organization and support these residents as they strive to achieve sustained recovery. Contact us to ask us about partnering with your Green Bay business or nonprofit.

What is Serenity House?

The Serenity House provides safe and sober living by connecting residents with the Twelve Step Communities leading into a growing relationship with God and a lifetime of recovery. Their vision is to help individuals suffering from alcohol and drug addiction to receive a life that they never imagined possible, through God, recovery and the twelve steps. (Source: Serenity House website)

Staggering Stats: Food Pantry Serves 1,623 in August

Joan Koehne
Hope Center Pantry shelves of food


Hope Center Pantry experienced a considerable year-over-year increase in the number of clients facing food insecurity in the Green Bay area. The pantry recorded staggering statistics from August 2024. The pantry served 493 households, compared to 374 households in August 2023. The 493 families represent 1,623 individuals – 874 adults and 749 children. In 2023, the panty served 1,425 adults and children. Plus, of the 493 families who picked up free food in August 2024, 109 were new clients.

Monthly Food Pick-Up

Clients are permitted to pick up free food from the panty once a month during the hours of 1-3pm Monday through Thursday. The only exception is for veterans and active military personnel who can pick up free food once a week.

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 the West Side Catholic parishes of Annunciation, St. Agnes, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Joseph, St. Jude, Nativity and St. Patrick and many others in the community. Together, we can help break the cycle of poverty.