SHEBOYGAN - "Has it really been that long?"
Noreen Gartman, 85, has volunteered at the tri-parish food pantry attached to Sheboygan South Catholic Parishes for 23 years. The food pantry, which started in 1996 to help families in emergency situations, is now open to anyone in the city of Sheboygan on the first and third Mondays of every month. Even though the pantry is connected to local Catholic churches, no one is ever asked their religious affiliation.
The pantry is part of a network of food pantries in the county that work with the Sheboygan County Food Bank. At a recent meeting, Gartman said, the food bank warned that pantries need to be prepared in case of a recession or reduced access to food stamps.
Gartman hopes the pantry will be prepared if those things occur. Even with shorter lines recently, there's always work to be done.
Gartman buys meat for the pantry with her own money, she said, reminded herself that it was time to get more. Two couples stop by the local Festival Foods to get day-old bread and produce. The food bank provides plenty of cheese thanks to donations from Sargento and Sartori.
Gartman never gives much thought to the reasons that bring people to the pantry, she said. For her, it's straightforward: People are hungry and she's going to help them.
"We treat everyone with respect and with dignity," Gartman said.
People have come through the line because expensive medications dented their budgets or they had to choose between food and Christmas presents for their kids, Gartman said. Some clients say they're just hungry.
Once, Gartman was helping a woman carry a box of food to her car. The woman thanked Gartman and said she couldn't believe that she was in this position. Gartman simply put down the box and gave her a hug.
Tables of food are arranged in a horseshoe shape so people can easily flow through the line. People are allowed a certain number of items from each section based on their household size, but they retain the ability to choose the food they bring home.
Allowing clients to choose what they take from the pantry rather than just giving out pre-filled bags helps to limit waste. It also gives agency to people who may be struggling through challenging times.
Lauren Binversie, an eighth-grader at Christ Child Academy, is a student volunteer at the pantry. Fifth- through eighth-graders from the school volunteer on a rotational basis throughout the school year.
"I feel good helping people get the food they need," Binversie said.
She remembers particular moments from her time volunteering, like when a family of 14 came through the line. She said they needed a lot of food to feed their family. Reflecting on that memory and others, she said, makes her thankful for everything she has in her life.
How to help fight hunger in your community
Since 2010, Stock the Shelves has raised nearly $5 million for food pantries in northeast and central Wisconsin thanks to the generous donations of newspaper readers and community partners across USA TODAY NETWORK–Wisconsin newspapers.
You can donate to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin's Stock the Shelves program by going to feedingamericawi.org.
More: Sheboygan County Food Bank serves 3,000 families monthly. Now it's looking for help
Reach AnnMarie Hilton at ahilton@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @hilton_annmarie.
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