Blog

Hunger on the Rise: Pantry Serves 2,319 Individuals in May

Joan Koehne
Janice and Chris Clemens sort donations at Hope Center Pantry
Hope Center Pantry Directors Chris and Janice Clemens
Photo by Timothy Mayer Artworks

Just when we thought our number of clients coming to Hope Center Pantry reached a high, the month of May 2023 really surprised us. We served 593 clients for a total of 2,319 family members! Compare this to our January 2023 outreach to 471 clients and 1,774 family members. Hunger is on the rise in Green Bay, Wisconsin!

Reduction in Food Shares/Food Stamps

Our clients tell us time and time again how much they appreciate the assistance they receive from the Hope Center Pantry. The food donations we provide allow them to feed their family nutritious meals. They are definitely feeling the recent reduction in their Food Shares/Food Stamps monies.

Thanks to Hope Center Pantry Volunteers

We are so grateful to have dedicated volunteers that show up day after day with such eagerness and understanding to give our clients a helping hand. Contact us to donate, volunteer, or request food assistance. Hope Center Pantry is open from 1-3pm Monday through Thursday at 505 Clinton St. Green Bay. Additionally, military veterans and active-duty personnel can pick up free food from 3-5pm on the second and third Tuesdays of the month.

The Joy of Giving: 20th Annual Baby Shower for Love Life

Joan Koehne
`0 women attend Baby shower for Love Life

By Karen Palluconi

We are a group of retired ladies that enjoy shopping for babies and children. Most of us are now grandmothers so we have discovered a beautiful way to acknowledge our shopping experience through hosting a “Baby Shower for Love Life” each year.

The tradition started about 20 years ago when a group of us met at someone’s home, and each of us brought small articles of clothing or books or toys to donate to Love Life. We had such a good time that we decided to repeat the experience the following year and every subsequent year since then.

Our baby shower each year begins with lunch and fellowship at a local restaurant, followed by a display of “show and tell” where we display what we bought. Through the years, our baby shower gifts have become more elaborate with purchasing winter coats and many new and used items of clothing such as outfits, tops, pants as well as diapers, wipes, formula, etc. After our luncheon and display of purchases, the items are loaded into my car’s trunk and back seat.

This year 10 ladies attended, including Sister Pat from the Quad Parishes. A lady who could not attend sent a check and made a blanket for the layettes.

The camaraderie of sharing a meal and sharing our joy of giving to Love Life makes a beautiful afternoon even more beautiful.

Clothing for baby shower for Love Life
Clothing for baby shower for Love Life
Clothing for baby shower for Love Life

2 Champions of the Poor: Hope Center Pantry & St. Vincent de Paul

Joan Koehne
A toy garage built from a box that contained food delivered by St. Vincent de Paul volunteer.

Give a boy a box, and his imagination will do the rest! We’d like to share this heartwarming story of two charitable organizations working hand-in-hand to make a difference in the life of a family in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

St. Vincent DePaul Answers the Call

Several volunteers at Hope Center Pantry also volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP), Green Bay, Wisconsin. Recently, a SVDP volunteer took a call from a mother with two children. She was between jobs, her car broke down, she received an eviction notice, and her family was low on food. That’s a lot for anyone to handle.

Free Food from Hope Center Pantry

The St. Vincent de Paul volunteer scheduled to meet with her the following day for a full assessment, but it was obvious that she needed free food, immediately. It was 2:45pm on a Thursday (Hope Center Pantry closes at 3pm), and the SVDP volunteer offered to get her some food from Hope Center Pantry to help the mother and her children through the weekend. Hope Center Pantry volunteers promptly delivered a box of food to the family, and the mother was quietly surprised at the generous amount of food. Her little boy carried the gallon of milk into the apartment and came back to help some more. His eyes lit up when he saw the pizza and juice. The volunteer smiled and said she hoped they would enjoy it. He enthusiastically responded, “I’m going to enjoy ALL of it!”

St. Vincent de Paul In-Home Visit

When the St. Vincent de Paul in-home visit team went to the family’s apartment the next morning, the mother was making omelets with the eggs from the pantry. That was wonderful to see, but that’s not all that made the SVDP team happy. They noticed that the boy made a play garage for his toy cars from the Hope Center Pantry food box. Together, St. Vincent DePaul and Hope Center Pantry gave this mother and her son some much-needed support in a difficult time. What a blessing to spread a little bit of hope by helping others.

Help Others by Volunteering at Hope Center Pantry

Want to make a difference in the community by helping others as a Hope Center Pantry volunteer? Contact us about volunteer opportunities or to schedule a visit to the pantry to experience volunteerism first-hand. The pantry is open 1-3pm Monday through Thursday at 505 Clinton St. Green Bay. Read the How We You Help information to learn more. Volunteers provide an essential service to those in need in the Green Bay, Wisconsin, area. Thank you to all of the volunteers at St. Vincent de Paul and Hope Center Pantry.

Letter Carriers Food Drive Yields 6,000 Pounds of Food for the Hungry

Joan Koehne
volunteers at Hope Center Pantry sort donations from the Letter Carrier Food Drive

After a three-year hiatus because of COVID-19, the Letter Carriers Food Drive returned on May 13, 2023, to Brown County, Wisconsin. Green Bay-area residents were encouraged to leave a bag of food by their mailbox to help fight hunger.

Food Drive Collects 6,000 Pounds of Nonperishables

As a result of the Letter Carriers Food Drive, Hope Center Pantry received 10 totes of food, totaling about 6,000 pounds. What a busy day for letter carriers and pantry volunteers! Some Hope Center Pantry volunteers drove the mail carrier routes to collect the food donations. Other volunteers unloaded the nonperishable food at the Post Office and loaded it into totes. Many other volunteers sorted and stored the food at the pantry. What a tremendous effort by so many dedicated pantry volunteers.

Largest One-Day Food Drive in the Country

This food drive is sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers and is the largest one-day food drive in the country. Letter carriers give back to the community by collecting millions of pounds of food, all which stays in the area where it was collected. The 2023 food drive was the 31st event.

Organize a Food Drive at Your School or Business

Thanks to the National Association of Letter Carriers for helping address food insecurity in Brown County, Wisconsin, by organizing the Letter Carriers Food Drive. Hope Center Pantry was honored to receive and distribute the donated food to pantry clients. If your school, business, or nonprofit is interested in organizing a food drive or collection drive for Hope Center Pantry, please contact us. Help us serve and guide those who are in need in the Green Bay area.

Love Life Ministry Volunteerism Has its Perks: Experience the Joy of Friendship

Joan Koehne
Mary Davis, Irene Jankowski,and Nancy Spiegelhoff in Mary Davis' new home. Sharon Zambrowicz took the photo.
Irene Jankowski, left, and Nancy Spiegelhoff, right, visit Mary Davis, at Mary’s new home. Sharon Zambrowicz took the photo. The four women developed a wonderful friendship, brought together as volunteers at Love Life Ministry.

My name is Mary Davis. I became involved with the Love Life Ministry back in 2000. At the time, I was getting divorced from my husband of 11 years. I was looking for ways to volunteer within the church. I knew Sharon Zambrowicz from grade school. She was my cooking teacher at St. Joseph Grade School, as well as the mother of my fellow classmate. I began helping at Love Life Ministry, checking in the clients and also sorting clothes. Eventually, I helped put the monthly list together. I continue to help with the list.

Volunteers Go Above & Beyond

Both Sharon and Larry Zambrowicz were so involved with every aspect of their ministry, so much so that they not only helped people on Thursdays but throughout the week and even at their own home. Sharon helped me as well. One time, Sharon, Nancy Spiegelhoff and Irene Jankowski brought dinner over to my place to celebrate the recent purchase of my home. They went above and beyond!

Nancy also took extra time out of her busy life on more than one occasion. She even when out for dessert with me at a local restaurant or offered for me to stop by her home so she could be a sounding board for another day. These women are amazing; they helped me tremendously!

The Benefits of Volunteering

Love Life Ministry volunteers Larry and Sharon Zambrowicz talk with Mary Davis
Love Life Ministry volunteers Larry and Sharon Zambrowicz talk with Mary Davis,

I know it’s an old saying but it’s true: You get more from helping others and volunteering, than you give! As I continue to help just a little now at Love Life Ministry, I have met Joann Vaile, the current director. She seems to have filled Sharon’s shoes very well.

There are many other volunteers involved now, of whom I only know Karen Domke. Karen is another great volunteer who’s involved in so much so unselfishly. These volunteers are continuing the dream Sharon and Larry started, which has become something we have come to expect. May we never forget how wonderful all these volunteers are and not take any of them for granted!
Thank you, Love Life Ministry!

Hope Center Pantry Opens Late for Veterans & Active Military

Joan Koehne
man in a military uniform to represent extended food pantry hours for veterans

Starting in May 2023, Hope Center Pantry, Green Bay, Wisconsin, extended its pantry hours to specifically serve military veterans. Military veterans and active-duty personnel can visit Hope Center Pantry to pick up free food from 3-4pm on the second and third Tuesdays of the month. Volunteers, who are veterans also, serve their fellow veterans during these extended food pantry hours. Hope Center Pantry is located at 505 Clinton Street on the West Side of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Hunger Impacts Lives of Military Veterans

Hunger affects many military veterans and their families every day. According to Feeding America, 1 in 9 working-age veterans live in a food insecure household, and 24 percent of active-duty service members were food insecure in 2020. Hope Center Pantry is doing something about it, by extending pantry hours and staffing the pantry with military veterans’ needs in mind.

Extended Pantry Hours to Feed Hungry Veterans

Hope Center Pantry is giving back to veterans and active military members who serve our country now or in the past. The extended food pantry hours for veterans are designed to help military families make ends meet. If you or someone you know is active military or a military veteran in need of food assistance, visit Hope Center Pantry for free food during regular pantry hours or the military-only hours.

Veterans Encouraged to Volunteer at Food Pantry

Additionally, if you’re a military veteran looking to give back to the community and other veterans, consider becoming a food pantry volunteer. Contact us about volunteer opportunities or to schedule a visit to the pantry to experience volunteerism first-hand. The pantry is open 1-3pm Monday through Thursday at 505 Clinton St. Green Bay. Read the How Can We Help information to learn more. Volunteers provide an essential service to those in need in Green Bay, Wisconsin, including active military and veterans.

Fortifi Bank’s ‘Supper for 6’ Feeds 200 Families

Joan Koehne
F

A Green Bay, Wisconsin, bank is a hunger hero! Fortifi Bank stepped up to help end hunger with a food drive. The theme of Fortifi Bank’s food drive was “Supper for 6.” Instead of simply collecting random food items, donors were asked to fill a grocery bag with nonperishable food to complete an entire meal. The instructions were simple. Fill a bag with ingredients to make a meal for six people. Drop the bag off at the bank.

Supper for 6 Collects 200 Bags

As a result, the bank collected enough grocery bags of food donations to benefit 13 food pantries. The Supper for 6 food drive yielded over 1,000 nonperishable food items, equaling 200 meals for families of six. Hope Center Pantry received 33 grocery bags of donated meals. Supper for 6 occurred March 13 to April 13 in each of the nine communities where Fortifi Bank operates a branch office.

Organize a Food Drive at Your School or Business

Thanks to the Fortifi Bank for helping address food insecurity in Brown County, Wisconsin, by organizing the Supper for 6 Food Drive. Hope Center Pantry was honored to receive and distribute the donated food to pantry clients. If your school, business, or nonprofit is interested in organizing a food drive or collection drive for Hope Center Pantry, please contact us. Help us serve and guide those who are in need in the Green Bay area.

Keeping Baby Smiling: Love Life Gives Free Diapers to Encompass Childcare

Joan Koehne
Baby in diaper with mom and dad

Diapers play an essential role in a baby’s healthy development. However, one in three families struggles to provide clean diapers for their baby, according to the National Diaper Bank Network. Babies can use as many as 10 diapers a day – that’s 300 diapers in just a month.

Encompass, Leaders in Early Education and Care

Love Life Ministry helps keep infants and toddlers clean and dry, helping them live healthy, happy lives. Since August of 2020, Love Life Ministry West has been providing free diapers to clients whose children are enrolled at Encompass, Leaders in Early Education and Care. Additionally, Love Life East has helped Encompass families for an even longer period.

Love Life Ministry Partners with Encompass Child Care Center

Basically, here’s how the partnership between Love Life Ministry and Encompass works. Encompass provides a list of clients to both Love Life East and Love Life West on the first of the month. After Love Life receives the list, volunteers print out two labels for each child. The label contains the child’s name, the size of diapers the child wears, and the location of the Encompass Daycare where the child receives child care services. Once the labels are printed, volunteers pull out the correct size diaper and put the labels on the bags of diapers. Each child gets two bags of diapers every month. Encompass picks up the diapers on the second Thursday of the month.

Helping Families with Diapers, Clothing & Child Care Items

Providing diapers for Encompass families has been going very well, and Love Life Ministry is so glad to help. Obviously, the mothers of these children are working and cannot visit Love Live to pick up the diapers in person. We are very happy that we are able to help them. Diapers are not eligible purchases for parents with an FSA (flexible spending account) or HSA (Health Savings Account). Plus, diapers can’t be purchased with FoodShare benefits. That’s what makes this partnership even more important.

Contact Love Life Ministry for Diaper Assistance

If you know of a mom or dad struggling to provide enough clean diapers for their child, or if they need other childcare items, please encourage them to contact Love Life Ministry . Love Life is open from 1-4pm Thursdays at The Hope Center, 505 Clinton St., Green Bay, and Central Church, 831 Schoen St. Green Bay.

Cathy Harrison: Making a Lasting Impact as a Volunteer

Joan Koehne
volunteer Cathy Harrison at her computer typing data for Hope Center Pantry

Hope Center Pantry volunteers make a lasting impact by feeding the hungry in Brown County, Wisconsin. The pantry offers many different ways to volunteer. Here’s a good example. Cathy Harrison is not your typical volunteer at the Hope Center Pantry. She started about 10 years ago sorting, packing, and distributing food to the needy but now works behind the scenes. She spends her volunteer time on a computer.

Tracking Food & Monetary Donations

Cathy documents the client activity to track how many people Hope Center Pantry helps and the impact the pantry makes. This is critical to ensure that benefactors and organizations providing grants continue to contribute food, money, and time. As a result, Hope Center Pantry can assist more people.

Volunteering for Food Drives

Cathy and her husband, Tom, also pitch in when Hope Center Pantry needs extra help. For example, the annual Boy Scout food drive, Scouting for Food, brings in four pallets of food donations for Hope Center Pantry alone. Hope Center Pantry needs extra volunteers to process the nonperishable food donations from annual food drives.

“It’s a great feeling to help people in need and to do something worthwhile,” Cathy said. “Food is a basic necessity, and the need keeps growing, especially now that everything is getting more expensive. I chose to volunteer at Hope Center Pantry because it’s in my community, and I can see the immediate impact.”

Making Friends, Building Community

Cathy has met a lot of kind people by volunteering for Hope Center Pantry. Volunteers from seven Catholic parishes on the West Side of Green Bay support the pantry’s day-to-day operations. The seven parishes are the Quad Parishes of Annunciation, St. Joseph, and St. Jude, along with Nativity of Our Lord, St. Agnes, St. Patrick, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. However, volunteers are not required to be a member of one of these Catholic parishes.

Making a Lasting Impact

Contact us about volunteer opportunities or to schedule a visit to the pantry to experience volunteerism first-hand. The pantry is open 1-3pm Monday through Thursday at 505 Clinton St. Green Bay. Read the How You Help information to learn more. Volunteers provide an essential service to those in need in the Green Bay area. Thank you, Cathy, Tom, and all of the volunteers at Hope Center Pantry.

Brown Co. Community Woman’s Club Shows Generosity

Joan Koehne
Brown County Community Woman’s Club at Hope Center Pantry with donations

When this group of women set out to do good, they surpass all expectations! In April, the Hope Center Pantry was fortunate to be the recipients of a monetary donation and a plethora of food items from the Brown County Community Woman’s Club (BCCWC). What a nice surprise when these women delivered these gifts to Hope Center Pantry!

BCCWC Brightens Kids’ Birthdays

BCCWC also donated six birthday bags. Birthday bags are given to Hope Center Pantry clients who have a child 10 or under in their household. In the child’s birthday month, he or she receives a bag containing a cake mix, frosting, candles and a toy. The majority of these birthday bags are donated by two local high school girls’ soccer teams, Notre Dame Academy and Southwest High School. Read more in this article about Birthday Bags and Christmas gift bags.

14,500+ Volunteer Service Hours Annually

The Brown County Community Woman’s Club is a nonprofit organization that provides charitable services and funding to the community. Eight women established BCCWC in 2008 as a nonsectarian, nonpolitical organization that supports the community while promoting social and personal growth of its members. BCCWC logs more than 14,500 hours of volunteer service annually in Brown County, Wisconsin. To date, the BCCWC has donated more than $478,000 in community awards, all in Brown County.

Thank you, Brown County Community Woman’s Club

Thanks to the Brown County Community Woman’s Club for helping address food insecurity in Brown County, Wisconsin. Hope Center Pantry was honored to receive and distribute the donated food to pantry clients. If your school, business, or nonprofit is interested in organizing a food drive or collection drive for Hope Center Pantry, please contact us. Help us serve and guide those who are in need in the Green Bay, Wisconsin, area.