GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – More people at home means less money being made, pushing many to local food pantries.
But that doesn’t mean every food pantry is seeing the same impact.
As for one Denmark woman, like many others, she’s just trying to get food on the table.
“I come here usually every Friday,” said Serena Dey. The mom of three was gathering groceries at Paul’s Pantry in Green Bay on Friday afternoon.
Already expecting another little one to join the family in a few short months, a global pandemic couldn’t have come at a worse time for her and her family.
“We’re not the richest people in the world and with the quarantine it doesn’t help when I don’t have work.”
Millions filing for unemployment across the country can relate.
“We’re making do,” said Craig Robbins, executive director of Paul’s Pantry.
Like other pantries, the way he does things has changed, adhering to social distancing and keeping those in need from having to gather inside.
Unlike some pantries, Robbins tells FOX 11 he is seeing more need.
“In February we had 85 new households. In March, it went up to 159 households. For the month of April we’ve had over 186.”
But that’s not the case for Loaves and Fishes in Fond du Lac.
The pantry says regardless of the coronavirus pandemic, the pace in this pantry has stayed the same.
Fond du Lac’s Loaves and Fishes says its attendance hasn’t changed too much since COVID-19.
So why isn’t every pantry seeing more people? Robbins says it could be because of what each pantry has to offer.
“We have curbside pickup with premade bags. We’re also offering deliveries in partnership with Operation Community Cares and they’re doing about 30 to 40 deliveries every day.”
But busy or not, pantries are expecting more people as the pandemic continues, hoping to make sure local families have food on the table.
