Delayed SNAP Benefits Cause Significant Increases in Demand at Area Food Pantries
Families across Dane County are feeling the effects of SNAP benefit delays in Dane County, as federal funding interruptions leave many without the food assistance they depend on. Local food pantries like ours are stepping in to fill the gap, but with record demand and limited resources, the strain is growing. Here’s how we’re responding with our fellow pantries, and how you can help ensure no one goes hungry.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2025
MADISON — Six of Dane County’s largest food pantries are already seeing the impacts of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) delays. SNAP, known as FoodShare in Wisconsin, provided benefits to nearly 65,000 people in Dane County in 2024. As America’s most extensive anti-hunger program, it gives out monthly government benefits to low-income households to help them purchase food. Even before SNAP benefits lapsed over the past weekend due to the federal government shutdown, many area food pantries began seeing increases as people turned to them to fill anticipated gaps. This comes on top of significant demand increases that Dane County food pantries have already experienced over the last several years.
“The disruption to the SNAP program is already creating additional pressure as we enter our busiest time of year,” reports Rhonda Adams, Executive Director of The River Food Pantry. “The River provided nearly 500 grocery orders and over 900 take-home meals in a single day last week, even before benefits were delayed. That is our busiest day ever outside of a holiday week. We are bracing for a surge in need, both among current clients and families who have not been visiting a pantry. I spoke to people waiting for their groceries last week, and most worried about how they will replace the meals that FoodShare covered, even with the support available from local pantries.”
Other food pantries are also seeing significant increases in visitors. “Last Tuesday, we saw our highest number of customers ever in our food pantry,” said Goodman Community Center’s Director of Food Resources, Francesca Frisque. “This included a large number of new shoppers who had never visited our pantry before. The rest of the week continued to be high, and we anticipate more this week.”
Food pantries are bracing for hard weeks ahead. Yesterday, in response to a federal judge’s order to release a contingency fund, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that this contingency fund would only cover $4.6 billion of November’s SNAP benefits, roughly half of what is typically distributed each month. No timeline was provided for when people would receive these benefits.
Despite these challenges, Dane County food pantries want to emphasize to community members impacted by the delay and partial payment of FoodShare benefits that they are prepared to do everything possible to ensure continued access to basic food. They are seeing firsthand the strain that the delay in benefits, along with the disruption and confusion from constantly changing information, is putting on families.
“People are worried. We’re hearing concern from both those who need help and those eager to offer it,” said Ann Maastricht, Executive Director of Sunshine Place. “Sunshine Place and our partner pantries across Dane County have food and support available, and together with community support, we are making sure everyone who needs help can get it.”
For now, food pantries are filling a critical gap. Although they can do this for a short time, food pantries can’t be the permanent solution. “Food pantries and SNAP are intended to work together to combat food insecurity,” said Chris Kane, Senior Director of Client Services at St. Vincent de Paul — Madison. “Food pantries cannot replace SNAP. According to Feeding America, for every one meal provided by food pantries, the SNAP program provides nine meals. That is too large a gap for the charitable sector to replace.”
Community members can give now to their local food pantry to make sure pantries continue to have food to meet the surge in demand. Even after the SNAP crisis ends, community support will still be critical as we head into the holiday season. “Crisis or not, hunger doesn’t take a break,” said Marcia Kasieta, Business and Development Director at Badger Prairie Needs Network. “Even when SNAP funding begins to return, record-setting need will continue. And with more federal cuts on the horizon, even more vulnerable families will be affected. Dane County has one of the most organized and collaborative food pantry networks in the country — but we rely on the strength and generosity of our wider community to help lift our neighbors through tough times.”
Cash donations enable pantries to target their buying to the most-needed items and to purchase in bulk at lower prices than retail. Most pantries also accept donations of nonperishable food. Check your local food pantry’s website for more details about giving or to see information about volunteer needs they may have.
“WayForward Resources and other local pantries have already seen an incredible response from the community,” said Ellen Carlson, Executive Director of WayForward Resources. “Thank you. We appreciate the monetary and food donations, as well as the offers to volunteer and the concern and support that have all come our way. It is essential. Please continue to partner with us during the delay and reduction in SNAP benefits–and into the future so that we can build a strong community together.”
Contacts
- Anne Shlimovitz, WayForward Resources, anne@wayfordwardresoures.org, (608) 826-3408
- Lisa Marshall, Badger Prairie Needs Network, communications@bpnn.org, (608) 347-2112
- Florence Edwards-Miller, Goodman Community Center, (608) 204-3127
- Becca Bolton, The River Food Pantry, becca@riverfoodpantry.org, (608) 665-0819
- Katherine Addison, St. Vincent de Paul — Madison, kaddison@svdpmadison.org, (608) 442-7200 x37
- Susan Schmidt, Sunshine Place, susan@sunshineplace.org, (608) 478-5556
Photos and logos, approved for press use
About the Food Pantries
About Badger Prairie Needs Network
Founded in 1986, Badger Prairie Needs Network (BPNN) is a volunteer-powered 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to end hunger and reduce poverty in Dane County. In addition to operating one of the region’s most collaborative food pantries and food recovery programs, BPNN offers a range of wrap-around community services, including pro bono legal assistance, onsite social workers through Joining Forces for Families, a commercial kitchen, community meals, and job-training programs in partnership with the Latino Academy of Workforce Development. Demand for food assistance continues to reach historic levels. In 2025, BPNN is on pace to support more than 95,000 neighbors — nearly triple pre-pandemic levels. Learn more at bpnn.org.
About the Fritz Food Pantry at Goodman Community Center
Located on Madison’s east side, the Goodman Community Center strengthens lives and secures futures, through programs focusing on food security, older adults, children ages 3–19, and building community. The Fritz Food Pantry at the Goodman Community Center provides groceries for more than 350 households every week. We believe everyone should have access to a variety of healthy, fresh foods, regardless of their income level, and we’re proud to provide this valuable service to anyone in our community who needs it. The pantry is open three days a week and all are welcome. No pre-registration is required.
About The River Food Pantry
The River is South Central Wisconsin’s busiest food pantry. Services include free groceries for pickup or delivery, to-go meals, online grocery orders, mobile meals, and after-hours food lockers. The River also recovers food and resources—that would otherwise go to waste—from local retailers. Since 2006, The River has grown to serve over 3,500 people every week in pursuit of its vision: a fully nourished community. Learn more at www.riverfoodpantry.org.
About St. Vincent de Paul — Madison
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison is a membership organization dedicated to helping our neighbors in need. They offer services such as food, prescription medicine, clothing, furniture, household goods, storage lockers and guidance to neighbors in need. Seven St. Vinny’s Thrift Stores across Dane County help fund these services and provide direct charity through a furniture, household goods and clothing voucher program. St. Vincent de Paul — Madison is currently accepting new volunteers during their “Volunteers Are Magic” drive with Magic98. Please visit /event/magic98-volunteer-drive/ to learn more.
About Sunshine Place
Located in Sun Prairie, Sunshine Place is a community resource serving Dane County and surrounding areas. The nonprofit provides a one-stop shop for support, offering its own programs focused on food, housing, and basic needs, alongside co-located partner agencies that provide additional wraparound services. The largest of Sunshine Place’s programs is the Sun Prairie Food Pantry, a full-choice pantry open six days per week and serving households across Dane County and beyond. The pantry also provides community-based food distribution to children in Sun Prairie and nearby communities through neighborhood and school partnerships. Learn more at https://sunshineplace.org.
About WayForward Resources
WayForward Resources focuses on creating food security and housing stability. Located in Middleton, their food pantry and clothing center are open five days a week to anyone in Dane County. WayForward’s housing stability programs provide case management, referrals, and financial assistance to community members living in the Middleton-Cross Plains School District and part of the west side of Madison. Learn more at wayforwardresources.org.
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Lacy Garden season began in May
The 26th season of Lacy Garden is underway! Volunteers gathered on May 22nd for a garden blessing with Fr. Brian Wilk and Cheryl Horne from Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish. Volunteers then held an informal reception to kick-off the season, share in community, and appreciate the generosity of the Lacy family who provides the land.
Lacy Garden is part of 10 Madison-area gardens that grow produce for pantries like the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. Last year, volunteers planted, grew, and harvested 10,000 lbs. of produce from this 1.25-acre sustainable garden.
Each year, volunteers plant over 50 different produce varieties including squash, watermelon, tomatoes, and peppers and are intentional about choosing a wide variety of produce to satisfy varying preferences of pantry users. The garden is an incredible resource for neighbors using the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry as the produce they receive is locally grown, high quality, and extremely fresh. Food pantry users like Donna especially appreciate these vegetables during summer months. Read more here: Bountiful Blessings for Food Pantry Families.
During the harvest season, volunteers pick produce on Monday or Thursday evenings, deliver it to the pantry, and the food goes out to pantry users the very next day – can’t get much more fresh than that.
Want to help?
Many area businesses send employee groups to volunteer at Lacy Garden. If your business has an interest in volunteering, contact Garden Co-Leader Peg O’Donoghue at (217) 649-7210.
New pantry software provides increased food choice and speedy delivery for neighbors
There are many ways to serve our neighbors with dignity. Before the COVID 19 pandemic, neighbors came to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry to shop for food with the help of a volunteer. Their ability to personally select which food they wanted respected their choices. However, this model did not greatly respect their time. Because of the high number of people visiting the pantry, neighbors often waited 30 – 60 minutes before shopping for food. For many neighbors, time was (and still is) literally money. Waiting this long meant lost wages and added unnecessary stress.
The pandemic forced adaptation. Pantry operations transitioned from in-person shopping to a drive-thru model to keep up with the escalating demand for food. As demand grew even higher, pantry staff needed to adapt again to reduce neighbors’ wait times for food. View the pantry’s usage here: Food Pantry Use by Month.
With help from two volunteers, pantry staff reduced food delivery time by 50% in 2025. New pantry software now provides increased food choice and speedy delivery for neighbors.
Yoshio Leeper, Food Pantry Coordinator, at the pantry check-in station holding a registration card
A note from pantry staff, Yoshio…
On the first pantry day of January 2025, we launched a new client registration system. It was a slow-going process on day one and, as the line of waiting cars in the street became dangerously long, we almost postponed. But, we survived the launch, and now, after five months of the new system, neighbors are seeing the dividends!
Our goal in implementing the “Bob Software” (affectionately named after local software developer Bob Braier, who generously donated the program) was to use better data to improve quality and speed of neighbor service. I’m happy to report that both of these goals are being met. First, more robust data helps us have better conversations with families during check-in to tailor service. We can now ask questions like, “You marked your family as pescatarian, can we bring you a fish bag?” or “Last time you mentioned you don’t have a kitchen, can we bring out extra ready-to-eat foods today?” Second, the new system includes barcoded cards for all pantry neighbors. Approximately 80% of families using our pantry now have these cards. With a card in hand, check-in is as quick as a scan of a barcode. There is dignity in food choice, of course, and there is also dignity in expeditious service—we are glad to offer the latter for busy families with little time to spare.
The speed of check-in, and customization of service, will only continue to improve as more families register and receive new cards. We are proud to have a culture of adaptation and thankful for all of the volunteers who’ve worked alongside us building this system.
Yoshio Leeper
Food Pantry Coordinator
St. Vinny’s Williamson Street thrift store has been recognized for architectural and design achievement and is honored to receive a 2025 Historic Preservation Award. Our thrift store and adjoining Social Service Suite on Madison’s east side was chosen as this year’s Sensitive Infill Award from Madison Trust for Historic Preservation.
This space is extra special because our charitable service in Dane County began in the Williamson-Marquette neighborhood where the store stands today.
Building History
In 1925 parishioners at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church and Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Madison formed our first St. Vincent de Paul conferences. These members visited struggling neighbors in their homes and offered assistance like food, clothing, and other basic essentials. By 1941 the supply closets they kept at the churches for these essentials were becoming too full. With a $1,000 loan from St. Vincent de Paul friends in Milwaukee, members purchased the building at 409 S. Baldwin Street in Madison to form a “Salvage Bureau” to give away clothing and household goods to families in need.
This “Salvage Bureau” later turned into a thrift store when the amount of donated goods exceeded the amount they could give away. The store grew in 1954 with the addition of the J.A. Brady Garage next door, and again in the late 1970’s and 1980’s with the addition of former retail and restaurant space. The house formerly on the corner of Baldwin and Williamson street served as our food pantry during the 1990’s until 2008. It then provided housing for women leaving incarceration and office space for our housing program.
Today, the first floor of this beautiful remodeled and expanded space is all retail, supporting our mission and anchoring our thrift store operations. The second floor is program space for our social services programs. It’s home to the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program which provides housing stabilization support for newly-housed families. It’s also home to our microlending program which helps people escape predatory debts including payday and auto title loans. This building stays true to the character of the Williamson-Marquette Neighborhood history and stays true to our history of service in Dane County.
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View all 2025 Historic Preservation Award winners
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Special Thanks To…
- Dave Mollenhoff for your invitation and work to complete the application for this award.
- Dimension 4 Madison Design Group, Ron Siggelkow, our architect, and Tina Gordon, our designer, and their teams who had the vision to create a building that meets current program needs and beautifully reflects the history and character of the Williamson-Marquette neighborhood.
- Gary Tree of Advanced Building Corporation and Gary’s team, who turned Ron and Tina’s vision into reality. They faced the challenge of combining six former buildings into a single place. Added thanks to Mike Leiferman and Tony Arts who brought necessary and exceptional engineering skills.
- Williamson-Marquette neighborhood who generously and patiently supported us through this project.
As 2024 comes to a close, here are the top 5 best stories that resonated most with St. Vincent de Paul — Madison supporters this year. These stories celebrated the inspiring legacy of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and shared the excitement of St. Vinny’s Willy Street Grand Reopening. They highlighted the benefits of volunteering, shared some of the recycling efforts at the Processing Center, and unveiled the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan. Here are the top 5 best stories that captured the heart of what makes St. Vincent de Paul — Madison special, quality programming for neighbors in need and fabulous thrift shopping for all.
#5 / 2024-2027 Strategic Plan
Kicking off the top 5 list is the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan. St. Vincent de Paul — Madison will focus on three key goals over the next three years: improving service delivery, reigniting Vincentian values, and cultivating an equitable community. These efforts aim to enhance communication and accessibility, inspire exceptional neighbor services rooted in faith, and foster a sense of belonging for all involved in the organization’s mission. Guided by simplicity, humility, gentleness, selflessness, and zeal, St. Vincent de Paul — Madison remains committed to responding to neighbors’ changing needs while embodying its core values in every aspect of its work.
#4 / Recycling Efforts at SVdP Processing Center
#3 / 9 Benefits of Volunteering
#2 / St. Vinny’s Willy St Grand Reopening
#1 / Celebrating St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Life and Legacy, January 4th
The most popular story of 2024 celebrated the life and legacy of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton! She was a widow, mother, and Catholic convert, who overcame immense personal loss to establish the first U.S. parochial school for girls and co-founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, inspired by St. Vincent de Paul. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison honors her legacy through the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program which provides personalized support to single adult families transitioning from homelessness to stability.
Mural for St. Vincent de Paul Social Services Building
This beautiful mural now hangs in the lobby of the new St. Vincent de Paul Social Services Building! Above St. Vinny’s Willy St. at the intersection of Williamson and Baldwin Streets in Madison, the mural will welcome people into the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Microlending program spaces.
A huge round of applause goes to Eva Pratt, St. Vinny’s Verona Assistant Store Manager, for creating this art! Additional thanks to Deborah Goedel, St. Vinny’s Verona Store Manager and Leighla Baney, St. Vinny’s Waunakee Assistant Store Manager, for their design collaboration.
The mural showcases and highlights the connection between our thrift stores and charitable programs across Dane County. Two more panels will be installed beneath the stairs. While four separate pieces of artwork, each panel flows together. When asked about the inspiration, Eva said…
“The ideas were all of ours, we collaborated. We thought about the services that we, Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison, offer and talked about the history of our first thrift store on Williamson Street. It was interesting doing research on the store to understand our history. We went with a somewhat 1950s vibe with that section. I knew the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program was going to be upstairs in this building, so I thought that it would be a really nice visual of the mother and children walking up to people helping them. We did some preliminary sketches, looked it over all together, and came to agreement on what looked good. After that, I went for a cleaner sketch and designed the final artwork.”
On June 25th, St. Vincent de Paul — Madison joined with 35 other Dane County food pantries to raise awareness about the increased need for food assistance. The group hosted a press conference on the steps of the Wisconsin State Capitol to share a letter to the community published in the Wisconsin State Journal. The goal of the activity was to encourage people to donate to local pantries to buy food, and collaborate on solutions that will reduce food insecurity long-term.
Thank you for the work you have already done and continue to do to support neighbors in need – specifically through food. Thanks to you, neighbors receive quality food and personal-care items from the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry when they cannot afford to buy them themselves. Thanks to you, seniors without transportation receive groceries each week delivered to their home. Thanks to you, families have the ability to order dietary-friendly and culturally-relevant food from our pantry to feed their families.
By consistently providing food and personal-care items to our neighbors in need, you help them alleviate some financial burdens and help them free up budget space to afford other necessary bills.
Dane County, we need your help.
As Dane County food pantries, we serve thousands of people in our community each day. Our shared mission is to make sure our neighbors don’t face hunger.
But we are facing a serious challenge.
Visits to many of our food pantries have more than doubled in the past two years. We know some of the reasons why. Food prices are higher and rent is rising more here than anywhere else in the country. Federal assistance that helped people make ends meet during the pandemic is gone. We are also the fastest-growing county in Wisconsin. Nearly 13% of kids in Dane County were food insecure in 2022, up from 7.5% in 2021 — and that was before our food pantries started seeing drastic increases in demand.
We’re also spending more on food than ever before.
The options we have to keep our shelves stocked continue to shift and are more limited than they were just a few years ago. Buying food in bulk is more expensive now and our traditional suppliers of free food can’t keep up with the demand. Permanent changes to the food system over the last few years mean there is less surplus available for our food pantries.
These trends make it challenging to keep food on our shelves.
Food pantries have worked hard to stretch our resources, space, and teams as far as possible. The pressure will rise in the coming weeks as kids have less access to free food with schools out for the summer.
You can help.
Making a financial donation to your local food pantry enables them to purchase needed food. We welcome food drives and volunteers, too. We know there is no quick or easy fix to food insecurity and the structural and economic factors that drive it. So we urge our local, county,
state, and federal officials, as well as other community leaders, to help find long-term solutions to food insecurity. We can’t do it alone.
This is a critical moment for us to come together for our neighbors.
When our community supports local food pantries, we are stronger. With access to food, kids can learn, families can work, and seniors can stay healthy. It will take all of us to meet this challenge and make sure our neighbors don’t experience hunger. We are committed to doing all
we can. We are asking you to join us.
In partnership with you,
Allied Food Pantry
Babies & Beyond of WI, Inc.
Badger Prairie Needs Network
Bayview Community Center Pantry
Catholic Multicultural Center
Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin
Deerfield Community Center
East Madison Community Center
Extended Hands Pantry
Fountain of Life Covenant Church
Good Shepherd Food Pantry
Goodman Community Center’s Fritz Food Pantry
Grace Food Pantry
Great Lakes Dryhootch Madison
Heights Unlimited Community Resource Center (Mazomanie)
Islamic Community of Madison
Kennedy Heights Food Pantry
Lakeview Food Pantry
Lussier Community Education Center – Food Pantry
Mission Nutrition DeForest
Neighborhood House Community Center Food Pantry
Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Mt. Horeb
Oregon Area Food Pantry
OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Madison Food Pantry
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church Food Pantry
Stoughton Food Pantry
Stoughton United Methodist Church Food Pantry
Sun Prairie Food Pantry at Sunshine Place
The Keep Food Pantry
The River Food Pantry
Vivent Health Food Pantry
Waunakee Food Pantry
WayForward Resources
Willy Street Pantry at the Social Justice Center
Without food pantries, thousands of people in our community wouldn’t have access to enough food to meet their basic needs.
The demand across six of Dane County’s largest food pantries has reached record highs, more than doubling over the last two years, while charitable giving has plummeted nationwide during that same time period. The 112% increase represents the average increase in the number of household visits across the six pantries between December 2021 and December 2023.
Up to this point, community support has been a critical part of how pantries have met the need, local pantry leaders said.
“We have never turned anyone away, but we have had to put some limits on the amount of food people can take,” said Ellen Carlson, executive director for WayForward Resources in Middleton. “We worry about how we and other local food pantries can continue to ensure that everyone in our community has access to nutritious food.”
The pressure on pantries to meet the need escalated in Spring 2023 as pandemic-era supports phased out, including the expanded child tax credit, universal free school lunches, and increased federal food and rental assistance.
“In the past four years, we’ve felt the impact of a pandemic, inflation, high housing costs and increased migration,” said Tracy Burton, Badger Prairie Needs Network Food Pantry Director. “All of these combined have resulted in over five times the number of visits to our pantry from pre-pandemic levels.”
Rhonda Adams, executive director of The River Food Pantry, said the number of households in need of the pantry’s services began growing steadily over the past few years and then surged when most pandemic relief programs phased out last spring, resulting in over 276,000 visits by households in need of groceries and meals in 2023 alone. “Food insecurity is a communal issue, even if we may not always recognize when it is affecting our friends and neighbors, and support from the broader community will continue to be essential to successfully addressing it,” Adams said.
While inflation has slowed down, prices for basic goods and housing have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The consumer price index, the most widely-followed measure of inflation, remains about 20% higher than it was before the pandemic. In addition, the steep increase in housing costs in Dane County means many households in our community have to focus even more of their income on rent.
“Many of our customers are people who are employed full-time and finding it necessary to choose between paying bills and buying food,” said Francesca Frisque, Goodman Community Center food pantry assistant director, who said growth there has been consistent and “sometimes staggering.”
“We’re thankful for so many generous partners throughout the community, and we have an incredible base of donors who give regularly. Even still, we’re not seeing as many donations come in, and we’re having a hard time keeping our shelves stocked,” Frisque said. “Without help from the community, we wouldn’t be able to meet the need of our Madison neighbors.”
Food pantries help families stretch their budgets so they don’t have to go without basic necessities and can continue to cover costs such as filling their gas tank to get to work and paying for prescriptions.
“We continue to respond to escalating pantry need with a variety of food options so people and families don’t have to choose between paying rent and buying groceries,” said Chris Kane, senior director of client services at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison.
Here are some of their stories:
- Jeremy, Marcella (names changed) and their three young kids recently moved to Dane County. Even though both Jeremy and Marcella work full time, it’s still difficult to make rent each month, pay for utilities and buy food and diapers for the family. Thanks to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, they can get essentials like milk, butter, eggs and bread to feed their kids. It’s things that help them get by each month while allowing them to expedite their savings so they can thrive long term.
- Ryan and Lexy (names changed) began visiting the WayForward Resources food pantry after he was laid off from a marketing firm where he had a promising career path. Lexy is in treatment for cancer and has significant medical bills. The couple is using all of their savings to maintain the health insurance coverage from Ryan’s former employer while he looks for another job. The pantry is a critical piece of their stability, allowing them to stay in their apartment.
- Bill (name changed) visits the Goodman Community Center food pantry every week, and the variety of fresh foods have made a positive impact on his diet. “I use the pantry every week, and it allows me to eat more healthy foods than I could otherwise afford. I’m very grateful for it.” Goodman pantry staff report that many customers share a similar sentiment, with some even bringing photos each week of meals they’ve prepared with food from the pantry.
- Mary (name changed) describes her experience at Badger Prairie Needs Network. “I’m a single mom just a hair above qualifying for food help. This pantry is a blessing every time. I have a young child with special needs. The items we get are incredible for him. We get so excited each time we go knowing that he will get food we couldn’t afford.”
- “The pantry has helped me be able to stay in my home by providing food when my budget is stretched terribly thin,” a client from The River Food Pantry said. Others who visit The River shared that being able to get food from the pantry meant they did not have to choose between eating and paying other bills. “My child and I would not be eating much without The River groceries. This is our key to getting by,” another client said.
- Annie (name changed) found the Sun Prairie Food Pantry during the early days of the pandemic. At the time her son was a baby, and receiving diapers and wipes from the pantry in addition to food was a huge help. When the Child Tax Credit payments ended in 2022, Annie found herself needing to use the pantry again. “We [my husband and I] both work but some months we just can’t make it.” They recently found out they’re expecting again, and they’re relieved to know they can count on the Sun Prairie Food Pantry as their family grows.
“We won’t turn anyone away, and we’re spending more money each month to make sure our shelves are stocked,” said Catie Badsing, manager of food security programs at the Sun Prairie Food Pantry at Sunshine Place. As the gap between wages and cost of living continues to widen, Badsing said pantries will keep seeing more new families who need their services. More than 8% of employed adults in Wisconsin live in food insecure households, according to a recent Census Pulse Household Survey.
“Our shifts outside of regular working hours are our busiest, which means most of our customers are working, sometimes multiple jobs,” Badsing said.
There is a misconception that food pantries operate mainly with state or federal support, but only a small amount of food comes in through the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program. Instead pantries must stock their shelves by relying on a complex web of systems and collaborations. That includes strategic partnerships like those with Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, food rescues from local grocery and convenience stores, as well as monetary and food donations from businesses, foundations, churches, and individuals.
“Unfortunately, many grants have stayed at the same levels, pandemic era funding is gone, our guests’ SNAP benefits have been reduced, and our food banks have been struggling to keep up with this growth,” said Burton from Badger Prairie Needs Network. “We’ve been grateful to be in a community that has always risen to the need — but with this enormous growth, we will need to find new sources of food and/or money or will have to restrict access to the pantry.”
While generous food drives at the end of 2023 had a major impact for people in our community, hunger doesn’t end with the holiday season. Donations of money, food and your volunteer time can all make an immediate difference in the lives of so many of our neighbors who need our support now more than ever.
Mother Seton
On January 4th, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day and legacy of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Who is she and how does her example inspire us today?
The legacy of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is one of loss, grief, and struggle. It’s also a story of love, charitable service, and fervent devotion to Christ.
Born in New York City, she is the first United States-born canonized saint. Locally, her legacy lives on in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison’s St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program.
A mother, widow, Catholic convert, and Daughter of Charity
Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born to an upper-class Episcopal family in 1774. Her first loss occurred at age three when her mother passed away. She read extensively and knew her Bible well. At 19, Elizabeth married wealthy businessman William Magee Seton and were blessed with five children. When the family business struggled and fell into bankruptcy after the loss of William’s father, she and the children went to live with her father. Elizabeth sold their remaining possessions to join William in Italy who was convalescing with advancing tuberculosis. He succumbed to the disease in 1803.
Amid the loss and grief of her husband’s death, Elizabeth became familiar with the Catholic Church drawn particularly by the Eucharist and surrendering to God’s will. She drew close to Our Lady and “felt great comfort in the idea that the Blessed Virgin was truly her mother.” She converted to Catholicism in 1805.
Upon her return to the United States, Elizabeth established several schools; including Saint Joseph’s Academy and Free School, the first free parochial school for girls in the United States dedicated to Catholic education. Elizabeth’s leadership of the school laid the foundation for the United States parochial school system.
In Maryland, Elizabeth co-founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, the first community for religious women established in the United States, professing her vows in 1809. Now Mother Seton, she continued her maternal duties to her children while carrying out her roles as a sister. In 1811, the Sisters of Charity adopted the rules of the Daughters of Charity; the congregation co-founded in France by St. Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac. During this time, Elizabeth lost two daughters to illness and guided the Sisters’ growth by establishing two orphanages and a second school. God called Mother Seton home to Him in 1821, at the age of 46.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the patron saint of Catholic schools, educators/teachers, loss of parents, widows, orphans, and people rejected/persecuted for their faith.
Preventing family homelessness
The legacy of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton lives on in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison who shares a particular devotion to her. In 1989, they honored her as a single mother, a Vincentian, and one dedicated to charitable service by establishing the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton House as transitional housing for single women and single mothers struggling with homelessness.
Its successor, the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program now provides individualized supportive services to single adult families who have recently moved from homelessness into permanent housing. Program staff accompany families to work on issues negatively impacting their well-being and help them create manageable goals that bring stability, prevent future homelessness, and help them thrive. Help is individualized to meet each family’s unique needs.
If you too have a heart for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and her living legacy, visit: /program/seton-program/
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us.
The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program provides individualized supportive services to single adult families who have recently moved from homelessness into permanent housing.
Sources: https://setonshrine.org/elizabeth-ann-seton/
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=180
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Ann_Seton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Joseph_College_and_Mother_Seton_Shrine,