PARDEEVILLE — Volunteer Pete Bartaczewicz said the same thing over and over again: “Here’s a ham, donated by United Healthcare.”
He got the same response over and over again, with multiple variations: “Thank you.”
The people who lined up for the fourth-Monday-of-the-month Pardeeville Mobile Food Pantry at St. Mary of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church weren’t expecting such a treat, but more than 100 of them got one of the 4-pound hams. Each household could have one, if they wanted it.
Cindy Le Grand, who coordinates the mobile pantry, said donations of fresh meat are extremely welcome, especially at this time of year.
“I was glad the hams came to Pardeeville,” she said, “because we don’t get a lot of meat.”
It was an appropriate occasion, also, to talk about generous people who give to food pantries during the holiday season — and what donations are most welcomed.
All food pantries welcome cash, with which perishable or hard-to-find items can be purchased.
At the Portage appearance of the Canadian Pacific Railroad Holiday Train — that’s happening at 1:15 p.m. Monday at the Amtrak station, 400 W. Oneida St. — both of the pantries that serve the Portage area will accept food donations, said Barb Chesney, coordinator of the Portage Food Pantry, 405 E. Howard St.
This year, the Portage Food Pantry will receive the cash donation from the railroad, while the St. Vincent de Paul pantry will keep any cash donations that Holiday Train attendees donate, Chesney said.
The Portage Food Pantry doesn’t seek out meat donations, she said, because it acquires meat from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a local food store and occasionally a successful hunter.
“We will take venison,” she said, “but it has to be handled by a licensed processor, and tested for chronic wasting disease.”
There are some donations that food pantries don’t want, Chesney said, including anything in a glass container, and canned or packaged food that is past its expiration date.
For people who want to give foods especially for the holidays, canned meats of any kind — including tuna, hash or stew — is very welcome, as are baking supplies such as flour and sugar, or boxed cake, muffin or cookie mixes.
Other donations that are always welcome at the Portage Food Pantry include peanut butter, juices (not “fruit drinks”) in plastic containers, meal-enhancing products like Hamburger Helper, dry pasta, dry cereal, hot cereal like oatmeal, pancake mixes, syrup, canned fruit, canned pork and beans and laundry detergent.
