Cornell Food Pantry asks for community’s support

The Cornell Food Pantry has been in operation for many years, thanks to help from area businesses and individuals who have provided support through donations.

“The success of our pantry is due to your continued donations and support,” said the food pantry board. “We are so proud to be part of a community that works so hard to assure that our families do not go hungry.”

The food distribution center feeds between 60 and 70 households each week, with pick-up times each Tuesday, from 4-7 p.m., at the pantry’s South Second Street location. In order to limit contact during the current COVID-19 health pandemic, volunteers pack and distribute boxes of groceries to people’s cars.

During the statewide shutdown of schools from March through the end of the 2020 school year, in collaboration with the Cornell School District, the pantry operated a community- wide distribution of food in the high school parking lot on a weekly basis. Through April and May, more than 46,000 pounds of food were given to an average of 80 households.

“A lot of those people now have transitioned over to coming to the food pantry (for regular hours),” said Ann Sonderegger, food pantry director.

The pantry also partners with the school to offer a Kidpack program, where weekend bags are sent home with students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The approximately 45 bags are packed with two breakfasts, two lunches, fruit and snacks, to ensure children have access to nutritious food over the weekend.

To lend support toward efforts of feeding those in need, the community is asked to make a donation before the end of the year, to keep the pantry going. Checks can be made payable to: Connie Klass, treasurer, P.O. Box 253, Cornell, WI 54732.

There’s also a way to donate when shopping online. When people order through Amazon, they can click on the Amazon Smile button and the online distributor will make a donation to the selected charity – in this case, Kitchen and Pantry for the Cornell and Lake Holcombe Area, Inc.

“The need continues to be great, due to COVID,” said Sonderegger. “So, we appreciate community support, anywhere, any place.”