Hello and Happy New Year!

 I’m excited to be a new resident of Wausau and, more importantly, the Executive Director of The Neighbors’ Place! Fighting food insecurity and helping create stronger, healthier communities has been a passion  mine for nearly 10 years. 

I was a resident of Madison for the past 2 years, but my hometown is Beloit, WI. Little know fun fact about Beloit – the Indiana Jones character from “The Raiders of the Lost Ark” movies are based on Beloit College Archaeology Professor, Roy Chapman Andrews. You’re welcome! :)

Another interesting fact – did you know the best way to support our food bank is through donating money? Rather than paying retail prices, our network works with major manufacturers, local retailers, and farmers to secure healthy food. This means when you donate a dollar, you’re able to put more meals on the tables of families than if you donated food you’d purchase at the store. Pretty cool, right?

Canned goods and dry food items like pasta and rice are a vital part of our work – but no one can live healthy lives on non-perishable items alone. Feeding people isn’t just about providing food, but about providing healthy food to all those we serve in our community.

In the coming year, we’re going to be working hard to stock our shelves with more fresh fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins. Our resolution in 2020 is to become a healthier resource for our guests, and we’d love to invite you along as we begin this new decade!

Speaking of invitations…. if you’re looking for a speaker or would like to learn more about the work we do and our new healthy initiative, please reach out! We’re proud of the work we do and would love to share it with you!

To a Healthy and Happy New Year!

Donna

Christmas Assistance

The Neighbors' Place hosts an annual Christmas Assistance program that provides gifts to children during the holidays through a sponsorship program with local individuals, churches and businesses. Each year, more than 1,000 children receive gifts through either The Neighbors' Place, The Salvation Army or Catholic Charities.

Thanks to the Church of the Resurrection Catholic Church, St. Michael Catholic Church, the UU Church, Trinity Lutheran, St. Stephen Lutheran Church and Good Shephard Lutheran Church as well as our business partners Aqua Finance, Office Enterprises and Connexus Credit Union for their support for this program! Because of these sponsors and our 11 local individual sponsors, we were able to provide Christmas gifts to over 250 children in our community.

Ice Tee Classic

The 2020 Ice Tee Classic is an 18 hole indoor miniature golf course that will be open for community play from Friday, January 24th - Sunday, February 2nd. The Community Tournament kicks off the event with a 3 player event complete with prizes, lunch, and raffles. Winners will take home a traveling trophy that they can proudly display at their place of business as well as bragging rights for the year. All proceeds from the Ice Tee Classic will benefit the food pantry at The Neighbors’ Place.

Help for the Homeless Hygiene Drive

The Family Radio Network’s annual “Help for the Homeless" hygiene drive is collecting new personal care and cleaning products for area crisis agencies (including The Neighbors' Place) from Feb. 16 – March 8. Please donate generously at church, work or school, or at any area Festival Foods Store or Walgreens Thank you!

PS - More about The Family Radio’s “Help for the Homeless” is here and at www.TheFamily.net. All Donations stay in the area.

10 Most UNWANTED Items in the Food Pantry

We welcome and appreciate your donations. However, there are items we cannot take in.

1. Home-canned or home-prepared foods

2. Spoiled foods

3. Rotten fruits and vegetables (or those close to spoiling)

4. Opened packages of food

5. Foods in crushed, dented or rusted containers

6. Foods past their ‘best by’ date

7. Foods past their ‘use by’ date

8. Packages of food that are dirty or soiled

9. Foods not from a retail business

10. Left-over foods from catered events or restaurants, unless the food is donated directly by the food business