Rhinelander Area Food Pantry

As SNAP benefits, or FoodShare as it’s called in Wisconsin, were delayed at the beginning of this month, local food pantries saw an increase in households signing up for their services.With those benefits now restored, the question becomes how many of those people will remain pantry customers and can the pantries support them.

For more than a decade, the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry has partnered with the Rhinelander School District to help feed thousands of kids with Weekend Food for Kids Program.This year it’s trying something new to ensure kids have enough to eat over the weekend.

More and more people are depending on local food pantries. At the same time, there’s been cuts to federal programs that helped pantries provide more food to folks.One of those programs is the USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Program.The goal of the program was to strengthen local food systems while also getting nutritious food to underserved communities.

The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry is closed today for Labor Day.

Over the summer, rates of food insecurity surge, but the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry is here to meet that need.

The holidays can be a busy time for food pantries.In the spirit of the season, many people may be looking for ways to support their local food pantries.WXPR’s Katie Thoresen talked with the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry about its need this time of year.

Fifty of the turkeys, along with all the fixings, were donated by a local group, the Hodag 10s.

More than 5,600 households in Oneida County are either below or just above the poverty level, but not making enough to meet the cost of living.

The pandemic brought a wave of new and extra assistance for households and food pantries.Many of the programs have either ended or been cut back at a time when food and other items are more expensive pre-pandemic.

More than 3,500 Oneida County residents depend on the Food Share program to help feed their families.The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry says between that and other programs being cut back, their Spring Challenge is more important than ever.