Waukesha County food pantry sees increase in clients, decline in funding
The Brief
The Food Pantry of Waukesha County is coming off a record-breaking year helping people with no signs of slowing down, but funds and food donations aren't keeping up.
Leaders say last year was a record-breaker for the number of people served.
While demand is up, two federally funded food programs are being cut or eliminated altogether.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Leaders at a food pantry in Waukesha say they're seeing more people in need than ever before.
But while demand is up, federally funded programs that help stock the shelves are drying up.
What we know
The Food Pantry of Waukesha County is coming off a record-breaking year helping people with no signs of slowing down. But funds and food donations aren't keeping up.
Volunteer Julie Huttner is noticing a change at the Food Pantry of Waukesha County.
"We see a lot of repeats, but it's not always the same people," Huttner said.
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Leaders say last year was a record-breaker for the number of people served: nearly 9,000 individuals. So far this year, the need has increased by 11%.
What they're saying
Lyndsay Johnson is the pantry's executive director. While demand is up, two federally funded food programs are being cut or eliminated altogether.
"These changes could leave some pretty large holes for us to fill," she said.
When added up, Johnson expects a reduction of roughly $75,000 worth of food.
The pantry has already decreased the amount of meat it hands out.
"I'm grateful for the support we do receive," Johnson said. "The concern is what this looks like as we move forward."
In a word, Johnson said the future is scary.
Dig deeper
Changes to SNAP benefits, as outlined in President Donald Trump's so-called big beautiful bill that passed the House, could leave more people relying on food pantry shelves.
In addition to grants and donations, Johnson said the pantry also pays out-of-pocket for food. She said last year, the organization paid $381,000 – a 319% increase in just three years.
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"That's a lot of money for an organization like ours to come up with [...] it comes from the community," she said.
Adding to the anxiety, Johnson said summer months tend to be slow for donations, with fewer food drives while people are on vacation.
Specific federal government reductions the pantry was notified about in March include:
$25,000 in Emergency Assistance Program deliveries this summer for milk, eggs and meat.
$50,000 in Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA), which was discontinued. This provided locally grown produce and meat for clients.
The Source
The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.
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