GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The New Community Shelter in Green Bay is holding a ‘Good To Go Friday’ and prepping to-go dinners for hundreds of needy families in the area.
Faced with a surge in need due to the pandemic, the shelter is serving more than 350-400 meals a day with a reduced staff, no volunteers, and a decrease in donations. Several hundred people expected to drive up for meals today from 5 to 6 p.m.
The busiest kitchen in town doesn’t require reservations, never charges diners for a meal, and is in critical need of help.
Green Bay’s New Community Shelter serves up to 400 meals a day, and is in need of volunteers and funding to continue to feed the working poor and homeless in the county.
The shelter operates a community meal program open to any adult or child in need whether or not they reside at the shelter.
Good To Go Friday marks almost one year since shelter staff made the decision to transition from dining indoors to serving dinners in a to-go arrangement.
The shelter usually relies on more than 200 community volunteers groups from businesses, families, church groups, and civic organizations to provide the food, cook, and serve the meals, but those volunteers have not been allowed inside the facility due to the pandemic.
“As a result, our staff members have worked multiple shifts to continue to feed anyone who would otherwise go hungry,” said Terri Refsguard, CEO of New Community Shelter.
“It was never an option to stop the community meal program just when so many are in need.”
Staff members were so dedicated to the effort, two members of the leadership team moved into the shelter temporarily to work the extended hours needed to maintain the meal program.
“It put a strain on the staff to cook meals night after night, so staying here was the best solution to keep the meal program and our other services running,” said Kris Olson, development director. Olson stayed at the shelter for 64 days while working extra shifts to prepare and serve meals.
In almost one year since the pandemic forced the change in the meal program, Refsguard estimates they have served thousands of extra meals.
People arrive at the shelter by car, by city bus, bicycle or on foot to get what is often the only meal they may have that day.
The NEW Community Shelter is at 301 Mather Street on Green Bay’s near west side.
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