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Pantry Press
COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER BY FONDY FOOD PANTRY | MARCH 2021
WHAT'S INSIDE?
Student Learning &
Hydroponics Stock the Pantry
Because a Kid Likes a
Surprise on His Birthday
Fondy Food Pantry’s Food
Delivery Service Program
Meet a Great Volunteer:
Ron Helmeid
EVENTS
New Canopy Helps Volunteer
March, April, May -
Benvenutos "Dine Out" Promo
Staff Brave Inclement Weather
A Look at Our Fondy Food Pantry has just completed a project designed
COVID-19 to keep our volunteers and clients protected against the
Response winter elements, spring rains and west winds.
When the COVID-19 crisis hit a You may have noticed the attention given to the front door of the pantry. This
year ago – and jobs slowed and
permanent structure has lighting and two high output heaters installed to
schools closed/went virtual – it
provide convenience and protection to our outside registration staff while
seemed the world fast forwarded
drive-thru operations continue.
from agile to lock-down.
Hats off to volunteers Ron Helmeid, Jamie Fiebig, and Mallory Gilbertson who
Shifts in patterns from suppliers
made distribution planning
spent many hours managing this project. Heartfelt thanks for the support of
tenuous. The usual, ever-ready
Contractor Tony Holschback from Horizon Construction and the monetary
volunteers took to self-isolation, support from friends of the Pantry, Bob Hartzeim at St. Vincent de Paul for
as expected. The demographic of sharing the cost of the heaters with us and Dyann Benson from the City of
our clients changed significantly Fond du Lac for making a CBDG grant available for the cost of the structure.
as well.
Continued on back
Student Learning & Hydroponics Stock the Pantry
Monday, February 22, 2021 marked a day She saw what was happening and instinctively decided she
that many thought would not happen. Nine could help by being the liaison between the growers and
bags of freshly grown lettuce arrived at the the pantry.
pantry. The delivery person, Maile Ley Villa, With her wagon Maile was there most Saturdays making
a 7th grade student at FDL STEM Academy produce happen for the Pantry.
was the harbinger of spring.
But Maile’s friendship with the pantry did not stop at the
end of the summer. As a student of the STEM Academy,
Maile became acquainted with the Hydroponic Growth
Towers.
A year ago there was to be an exciting partnership between
Fondy Food Pantry and FDL STEM Academy that would
have helped “stock the shelves” with fresh lettuce, spinach,
herbs from two recently delivered Hydroponic Growth
Towers, sponsored by Grande Cheese and Fondy Food
Pantry. Principal Tim Scottberg and the STEM students
were excited about the new initiative. Almost immediately
however the project was stalled by COVID-19 and all
gardening activity came to rest because of a year filled with
the changes presented by the pandemic.
Seeing Maile with her nine bags of lettuce was indeed the
Maile became a friend of Fondy Food Pantry during the first robin of the season. Thank you Maile and keep up your
Farmers Market season where she and her Grandmother focus in your studies and your volunteer action for Fondy
visit weekly. Naturally vivacious, Maile made quick friends Food Pantry. Your pantry friends look forward to seeing
with Pantry volunteers who are present at the market to you and your friends on Main Street in just a few short
accept donations of garden-fresh produce for the Pantry. months.
Because All Kids Deserve a Surprise
on Their Birthday.
Fondy Food Pantry has what it takes to surprise children on their birthdays. Did you
know that a Birthday Bag is offered to all children registered in households during
their birthday month, even if they do not come along for the pantry visit? Each bag
contains a disposable cake pan, cake mix, frosting, candles, a card, balloons, and
a little gift. Clearly, a party in the making.
When Steve Walber noticed that our Birthday Bags were presented in very
ordinary bags, he proposed that his workplace would be willing to supply the
bright green string back packs needed to make the gift that much more
special. He ordered 300 bags with promises to reorder as needed. Thank you,
Steve Walber and Fox Valley Savings Bank, for adding this bit of sunshine to
our kids special days.
If your organization, neighborhood, card club, happy hour gang would like to jump in and support the Birthday
Bag program, just get together and shop for the above ingredients and drop them off at the pantry. Or order
from Amazon and have it delivered to the pantry. Or, easiest, write a check and memo it for “Birthday Bags”.
Fondy Food Pantry’s Food
Delivery Service Program Ways to Donate
While FFP has always been able to provide food to people in emergency MONETARY DONATION
This is the most direct method of
situations through St. Vincent De Paul, Advocap and other area
contributing. Simply write a check
agencies, the quarantine and self-isolation requirements as a result of
and send it to:
COVID-19 Safer at Home conditions stepped up the need for more FFP, PO Box 492
attention devoted to an in-house delivery service. Fond du Lac, WI 54936-0492
Thanks to Jeff Reed, a newly retired faculty member and administrator
MEMORIALS AND HONORARIUMS
at Marian University, who came to us with the proposal and willingness You may want to designate your
to take responsibility of developing and managing the Pantry’s Food donation to be “In Memory Of” or “In
Delivery Service program. The magnificent tally of 256 deliveries of Honor Of” an event or person that
hand-picked and hand-packed foods were made to 110 grateful you care about.
households from March 2020 to end of the year. Kudo’s to Jeff and
Sylvia Reed. LEAVE A LEGACY
Invest in the future of Fondy Food
Pantry with a planned gift in your
will or estate plans.
MEET A GREAT VOLUNTEER: WORKPLACE GIVING
Ron Helmeid There are multiple ways to get
involved through workplace giving,
Along with a few others, Ron including payroll deductions.
Helmeid could be called a Chief
GIVE STOCKS OR
Logistical Engineer. If ever one
MUTUAL FUNDS
needs to think things through
Donating stocks and mutual funds
Ron is there to do the job. His I started delivering FFT bins to shares is simple and offers you
fingers and thorough mind are all elementary schools late in 2014. valuable financial benefits including
over the pantry, especially My role now is unloading trucks, being tax deductible.
helping with incoming food building maintenance and
inventory flow throughout the parking lot management for drive CREATE A FUNDRAISER
building and most recently the thru food distribution. Design a creative and unique event
traffic control inside and outside that supports your business as well
What is something you as Fondy Food Pantry.
during the Drive-thru
experience while volunteering
distribution during COVID. Here
that would surprise people? FOOD DONATIONS
is what Ron has to say for himself:
The collective goal the volunteers Any donation of quantities of food
or personal products are welcomed.
What was your first experience contribute to while making the
with food insecurity in our food pantry benefit to our
AMAZONSMILE
community? community, I feel extremely
Donate to FFP as you do
My wife was involved with the honored and very humbled to your usual online shopping.
pantry when it was in the work with an amazing group of Visit smile.amazon.com to get
basement of the Church of Our individuals all doing good thing started today.
Savior in the late 90‘s. for the community.
How long have you worked for Read more at Read more at fondyfoodpantry.org
FFP and what is your role? fondyfoodpantry.org/volunteers
Benvenuto’s Partners with Emergency
Pantry for Give Back Promo Closures Policy
Watch for our post on Facebook and website Since FFP opened in July 2018 our
for Benvenuto’s Italian Grill “Dine Out” pantry closures during extreme
promotion scheduled for March 30, April weather or emergency situations
and May. The folks at Benvenuto’s have been reflected that of the Fond du Lac
School District. Since COVID-19 has
donating 20% of sales one day each month
altered school procedure the pantry
to benefit Fondy Food Pantry. Available for dine in or carryout by
has set its own policy guidelines to
calling 920-924-9112. Benvenuto’s is located within the Radisson Hotel
ensure the safety of our volunteers
& Conference Center. Thank you, Manny Quintana, for your generosity and clients.
and great food offerings. Everyone wins with this fundraiser,
Benvenuto’s, Fondy Food Pantry, and every one of us who would be Active volunteers will get their
taking a break from the kitchen. emergency closure information from
the Volunteer Schedule Coordinator,
Sheri Wagner ideally 4 – 8 hours in
advance via email or phone. Radio,
COVID-19
Face Book and website will also be
notified of the decision by the
CONTINUED FROM COVER resource person. In-session decisions
on pauses or early closures will be at
Neighbors who had never needed food assistance found themselves
the discretion of the resource person.
vulnerable, and those already facing hunger found it even more
difficult to make ends meet, the need for Fondy Food Pantry various Anything that impacts the safety of
services and programs became even more essential. our clients and volunteers will be
considered as reason to pause or
Fondy Food Pantry quickly reacted to conditions to continue food
close a session.
distribution without pause. Within within four days our drive-thru
style of distribution was set and ready for any further surprises.
As quickly as changes were forced, many just as quickly stepped up to Board Officers
fill the need. New volunteers made themselves known. Businesses, Mallory Gilbertson, President
individual donors, grocery outlets, food drives and our regional food Sylvia Reed, Vice President
bank, Feeding America reminded us constantly of their support to our
Sandy Breth, Treasurer
mission of providing healthy food for families in need.
Judy Cusick, Secretary
With the support of the Essential-to-us entities we distributed an Claire Olig
astounding 531,548 pounds of both perishable and nonperishable foods, Sheri Wagner
up from 395,000 pounds (34.25%) more food than the same time frame Steve Walber
last year. Cindy Taylor
Even as many businesses are reopening, the months of uncertainty
within our community have completely changed their financial outlook
for the short term and most probably well beyond.
The food insecurity rate is projected to increase this year. Wherever Location: 573 West Rolling Meadows
there is a need, with the help of our Essential-to-us donors and Drive, Fond du Lac
suppliers, fixers and volunteers, the Fondy Food Pantry is here, open
three days per week for food distribution. Monday 3:30 – 5:30; Tuesday Phone: 920-322-0369
11:30-1:30; Thursday 3:30-5:30. Website: fondyfoodpantry.org
Email: office@fondyfoodpantry.org
Read expanded articles and more at fondyfoodpantry.org Newsletter design sponsored by wisnet.com
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