With the ongoing government shutdown threatening FoodShare benefits, the holidays approaching and the price of groceries remaining high, it’s no surprise that food has been top-of-mind in communities across eastern Wisconsin.
Still, editors across the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin were surprised Oct. 28 with word that the network’s annual Stock the Shelves campaign had already surpassed its goal of raising enough money for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin to provide 550,000 meals for our neighbors in need.
As of Oct. 27, with four days remaining in the campaign, readers had donated more than $100,000 to fight food insecurity. Combine that with the match money provided by the campaign’s partners — Greater Fox Cities Chapter of Credit Unions and Mike and Mary Salsieder — and we’re at more than 592,000 meals.
While the temptation to kick back and pop the confetti cannons is strong, the need in the community is stronger. FoodShare provides $114 million in benefits to Wisconsinites every month, and our reporting earlier this month shows that 700,000 stand to lose aid if the government doesn’t reopen by Nov. 1.
More: More people are using food pantries in Wisconsin for the first time. Here’s how to get started
Let’s be realistic — this campaign can’t make up that funding gap on its own. No single effort could. But every dollar donated by Oct. 31 can help local pantries be that much more ready for the influx of need that is likely on its way.
Volunteers work at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin in Appleton on Oct. 8, 2025.
To get to 700,000 meals, we would need to raise an additional $27,000. Every dollar raised through the campaign equates to about $10 worth of food, or enough for about four meals. This is because Feeding America is able to purchase food in bulk, and relies on volunteer labor to repackage that food and distribute it to pantries.
More: These two volunteers help serve food pantries across eastern Wisconsin | Stock the Shelves
Need was already high, even before federal money became a concern
Even before the government shutdown started on Oct. 1, the need was high. Our reporting as part of this campaign revealed ongoing increases in need from both national trends and local calamities.
In Francesca Pica’s reporting at the start of our campaign, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin reported a network-wide increase in demand of around 30% since 2022.
Milk and English muffins line shelves at the Emergency Food Pantry inside Milwaukee Community Crossroads on Friday October 3, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“We’re seeing a lot of partners that are drastically noting increases of unduplicated individuals that are patronizing pantries, meal programs, shelters, etc.,” Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s according to director of partnerships Abby Beau told Pica. She pointed to rising grocery prices as a significant driver of the increase. Prices rose 0.6% nationwide between July and August, but 29% since before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Milwaukee pantries, especially, had extra stress to work around this summer, after record flooding in August disrupted food distributions. In one example found by reporter La Risa R. Lynch, Ebenezer Stone Ministries was hit by a foot of water in its warehouse, causing extensive damage. It had to discard $20,000 in food. Several pieces of equipment, as well as coolers and freezers were damaged, and the organization was set back between $150,000 and $180,000.
Michael Haas of Ebenezer Stone Ministries, shows donated food in a freezer at the food distribution center at 1228 W. Bruce st. on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022. Angela Peterson/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
How to donate to Stock the Shelves
To donate online, visit FeedingAmericaWI.org/StockTheShelves.
To donate by mail, checks made payable to Feeding American Eastern Wisconsin, ATTN: Stock the Shelves, should be sent to 1700 W. Fond du Lac Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53205.
Enclose with your contribution the donor’s address with city, state and ZIP code for internal processing, a notation of whether the donation should remain anonymous, and/or whether the donation is in the memory of someone special. Also list the donor’s name as it should appear in a thank-you advertisement to be published in the Thanksgiving editions of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin’s daily newspapers.
For a map of food pantries, meal programs, and shelters supported by Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, visit FeedingAmericaWI.org/Find-A-Pantry.
Taima Kern is editor of the Appleton Post-Crescent, and business editors for the Post-Crescent and the Green Bay Press Gazette. Reach her at tkern@gannett.com or 920-907-7819. Follow her on X (Twitter) @TaimaKern.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Stock the Shelves fundraiser for Wisconsin pantries enters final week
