Marinette Food Pantry sees visits sharply increase since April

MARINETTE, Wis. (WLUC) - Visits to the area’s largest food pantry continue to climb while in-kind donations dwindle and the community is being asked for support.

Since April 2021 St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marinette (SVdP) has experienced a 160% increase in visits to its food pantry.

According to Executive Director, Ashley McKinnon, an increase was expected as the pandemic lags on, but a number this large was never predicted and the small nonprofit is struggling to keep up.

“COVID has thrown us a lot of curveballs, this year,” McKinnon said. “While we planned to see more friends in need as pandemic benefits run out, we did not expect to see this much this fast. It’s also an even bigger worry as we have lost several major donors this year that we had relied on to cut expenses.”

SVdP participated in a free dairy program for over a year that provided the pantry with dairy products at no cost. Unfortunately, that program abruptly ended at the end of September, putting an additional $10,000 strain on the organization’s budget.

While the numbers continue to climb, the organization is looking to community members to show their support to the food pantry, especially during this time of year.

“We are just weeks away from November, which is when we start giving our friends in need holiday baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners,” McKinnon said. “We would love if our community could help us provide for those struggling this holiday season and beyond.”

If interested, monetary donations can be sent to P.O. Box 1111, Marinette, WI.

If your business or school would like to host a food drive, please visit the Food Drive Resource Page at svdpmarinette.com/hostafooddrive for posters, tips, and most needed items.

ABOUT ST. VINCENT DE PAUL DISTRICT OF MARINETTE: St. Vincent de Paul is located in downtown Marinette and is home to the area’s largest thrift store and food pantry. SVdP is also a transitional employer, giving individuals who are struggling to get back into the workforce take that first step to gain experience. At SVdP, no act of charity is foreign, from vouchers, to employment, to monetary assistance, we are there to help.