When a Green Bay homeless shelter had a dire need for “to go” meals for its non-sheltered guests, Hope Center Pantry came to their aid. Hope Center Pantry now collaborates with St. John’s Ministries – in Green Bay Wisconsin’s cold weather months (November through April).
Pantry Begins Outreach to Homeless Shelter
To start, Hope Center Pantry directors met with the St. John’s Ministries staff to find ways to use Pantry resources to help non-sheltered guests. Some of St. John’s Ministries’ non-sheltered guests need “to go” meals to eat, but these guests cannot get to Hope Center Pantry to pick up food. Some of the guests work night shifts and need a mid-shift meal at work. Additionally, for various reasons, St. John Ministries occasionally tuns away people experiencing homelessness. However, St. John Ministries still tries to provide these individuals with a nutritious meal to take with them. So, Hope Center Pantry started a community outreach program with St. John’s Ministries in December 2021.
Dietician-Inspired ‘To Go’ Meals
Here’s what happened. Hope Center Pantry worked with a registered dietician to develop a variety of meal options. Guided by the dietician, Hope Center Pantry developed “to go” meals with three important characteristics:
- All of the food had to be shelf stable and need no refrigeration.
- The majority of the meals could not require heating.
- All of the foods had to be easy to chew. Many of the meal recipients experience pain associated with chewing hard foods (e.g., no beef jerky).
100 Sack Lunches for the Hungry in Green Bay
Hope Center Pantry initially provided 50 meals to the homeless shelter, and that quickly grew to 100 “to go” meals each month. A typical “to go” sack lunch contains protein, fruit, carbs and a healthy granola bar, along with a drink mix packet.
Students & Volunteers Pack ‘To Go’ Meals
High school students that need community service hours and Hope Center Pantry volunteers assemble these meals. The case managers at St. John Ministries distribute the Hope Center Pantry flyer to guests who can drive to the pantry. Hope Center Pantry is open from 1-3pm Monday – Thursday at 505 Clinton St., Green Bay.
Breakfast for St. John’s Ministries
In addition to the “to go” meals, St. John’s Ministries homeless shelter needed high protein breakfast food. Hope Center Pantry committed to providing 144 eggs (12 dozen) every month. The homeless shelter staff boils the eggs and provides them to their guests. Additionally, Hope Center Pantry donated 1,200 paper plates, 300 paper bowls, and 600 Styrofoam cups which was a crucial need for St. John’s Homeless Shelter to feed their guests. St. John’s Ministries homeless shelter and Hope Center Pantry formed a perfect partnership, working together to best serve the underprivileged in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Help us Bring Healthy Meals to the Homeless
As a 501(c)3 charitable organization, Hope Center Pantry looks for ways to collaborate with other Green Bay-area nonprofits. Together, we can make a lasting impact on people in need. Please consider donating food, time, or financial resources to Hope Center Pantry, a Green Bay, Wisconsin, Catholic outreach organization. Contact us to learn more.
The mission of the Hope Center is to serve and guide those who are in need. It is our responsibility to empower and support others.
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