No one should have to go hungry
Food insecurity is more common than we think. It is estimated that 65% of Dane County households find themselves worrying about running out of food without the means to purchase more. United Madison wants to provide a hub for resources and information on this often overlooked, but very real issue.
Food Resources in the madison area
Badger Prairie Needs Network (BPNN)
Badger Prairie Needs Network (BPNN)
Badger Prairie Needs Network (BPNN)
BPNN operates one of the busiest food pantries in Dane County, Wisconsin. The pantry, which started in a church closet in 1986, now serves all of Dane County with a 100% volunteer staff. BPNN has expanded its service area to include all households in Dane County, implemented curbside pick-up, and increased the number of visits to two per month.
Extended Hands Pantry
Badger Prairie Needs Network (BPNN)
Badger Prairie Needs Network (BPNN)
Established in 2019, Extended Hands Pantry aims to serve area families and individuals with compassionate acts of love. It's founders have been engaged in battling hunger for over twenty years and developed extensive and comprehensive knowledge of local food systems and food needs.
Goodman Community Center (GCC)
Badger Prairie Needs Network (BPNN)
Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens
GCC is committed to creating and maintaining a community that respects and values diverse life experiences. From the Fritz food pantry, Hunger Heroes drive, Thanksgiving baskets, and countless other initiatives, GCC has been dedicated to solving the problem of hunger in our community. Learn more by clicking below and navigating to 'Services' and/or 'Events.'
Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens
Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD)
Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens
Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens (MAFPG) has a 20-year history reducing food waste and supplying fresh produce to the Dane County emergency food system.In a typical year, MAFPG supplies up to 100,000 pounds of produce (2 million pounds in the past 21 years) through the collaboration of over 700 volunteers and community partners each year (10,000 volunteers in the past 21 years).
Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD)
Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD)
Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD)
The Madison School District is stepping up its food distribution program for the fall, offering free meals for all students at 40 school sites and providing five days’ worth of food at one time.
Click on the link below for information.
Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM)
Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD)
Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD)
Mom was founded 40 years ago when community members of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church recognized there were neighbors that could use their assistance. Their work is still made possible by our community including more than 400 regular volunteers and 8,000 current donors. In fact, MOM is 100% funded by the community and does not rely on any government support.
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
Second Harvest exists to end hunger in Southwestern Wisconsin working together with hundreds of local food relief charities to distribute food to families in 16 counties. Between March 15 and August 15, 2020, Second Harvest distributed 65% more food compared to the same time period in 2019!
United Way of Dane County
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
The United Way of Dane County runs a free information service 24/7 designed to connect those in need with service providers; including those looking for an emergency food resource. Just dial 211 on your phone, give them your zip code, and they will tell you where the nearest emergency food provider.
UW Madison Campus
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
UW Madison Campus
University Housing provides an average of 250 meals a week to students in need as part of the Food Recovery Pre-Package Program. Cooked and unserved food from dining markets are packaged and then frozen. UW-Madison students who may need a meal can stop by The Crossing Christian Center and grab one.
Little Pantries
One City Schools
Prairie Road Pantry
One City Schools
Located at 2012 Fisher Street, Madison, WI 53713.
Donations can be left by the front door at the school
Healing House
Prairie Road Pantry
One City Schools
Located at 303 Lathrop Street, Madison, WI 53726.
Please see current SIGN UP list of needed items. Donations can be left prior to each Wednesday in the Rubbermaid bin on the front porch.
Prairie Road Pantry
Prairie Road Pantry
Prairie Road Pantry
Located at 1417 Prairie Road, Madison, WI 53711.
Donations can be dropped off anytime. Most needed items are toiletries, diapers, and snacks.
Hunger in our community
Between March 1 and April 28 the volume of calls to United Way’s 211 line relating to food & meals jumped 300% compared to the pre-coronavirus timeframe.
Food insecurity is a situation that far too many in the Dane County area experience. It is estimated that 65% of Dane County households are in this position due to a combination of factors including low wages of underemployment, the high cost of housing in Dane County, medical and other basic living expenses. Seniors, individuals, and households with children make up this statistic. Imagine worrying about running out of food without having the means to purchase more.
Now imagine the impact in March 2020 when COVID 19 necessitated the stay at home order closing non-essential businesses and schools which resulted in many losing their paychecks, while seeing increased demand on the household food budget. Those barely making it paycheck to paycheck found themselves in a precarious position; and households who had never experienced unemployment found themselves struggling to meet their basic living expenses and put food on the table.
While government stimulus checks and increased unemployment checks helped ease the hardships, many struggled to access these benefits due to the unprecedented volume of claims, and those benefits are temporary. Unemployment has decreased somewhat since the end of the stay at home order, however, some jobs may be permanently gone or may pay less as the economy slowly opens. Households with young children may find themselves struggling to juggle employment and the added stress of accommodating virtual school schedules. Many households will continue to experience a significant gap between financial resources and payments for housing, childcare, and food.
Feeding America projects food insecurity in Dane County will jump 63% as a result of the pandemic.
When the stay at home order was issued in March 2020, food banks and food pantries, which provide emergency food resources to families in need, were deemed 'essential services' and were able to remain open; however, their world changed dramatically:
- Increased demand at the same time that the national food supply chains were challenged
- Diminished volunteer pool due to large numbers in higher-risk groups
- Diminished sources of food donations through food drives championed by schools and businesses
- Need to modify operations to comply with Dane County Public Health requirements of social distancing and gatherings.
Using federal funds available through the Cares Act, Dane County distributed $3 million to Second Harvest Food Bank to stock area food pantries in Dane County through the end of July. In June, the county doubled the amount invested to a total of $6 million. Despite the influx of funding, it is estimated these funds will be depleted by the end of October when demand is expected to increase again.
