The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry is participating in a $1 million national challenge to raise money for local pantries.
Executive Director Guy Hansen says the Alan Feinstein Foundation will grant to the Rhinelander pantry in proportion to what is raised locally during March and April.
Hansen says the donations include cash, checks and food items...
"....we have at least six places that are collecting food during these two months. We have many people who wait until these two months so we get a boost from the Feinstein Fund..."
Past challenges have raised more than $1 billion for more than 2,000 agencies across the country.
The annual "Cantastic" build has begun inside the Rouman Cinema in Rhinelander. Teams construct designs with cans of food. The public votes with donations on the best design. At the end, all the food and cans donated go to the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry....
"....there are three categories, one is Judge's Choice; one is People's Choice; and the (last) is the structure that uses the most cans and still follows the theme. The theme this year is 'Hunger Games'..."
Hansen also says they anticipate moving the food pantry into the current Golden Harvest building sometime in early summer, after Golden Harvest moves to its new store.
More information on the projects is at the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry website.
