As the pandemic continues, good news can be hard to come by. But we’ve got some news you should be incredibly proud of; together, we’re making a tremendous impact! Because of you, The Neighbors’ Place is making sure our neighbors impacted by the crisis have the food they need. At a time when so many people are visiting us for the first time, your support is driving our daily response. We have been touched by the cards, letters, financial gifts, food donations, you name it, we feel the love! It’s because of the support of this community, that we have been able to continue to operate and make sure our friends and families in Marathon County are able to put food on the table. Our staff and volunteers are on the front lines of the pandemic response because we know that having food on the table means so much more than just a healthy meal – it’s a source of hope.

Although we can’t open our doors to the public yet (we’re continuing to do our outdoor distribution), we want you to know that we are working hard behind the scenes to make our services better and safer than ever! Everyone’s safety is our highest priority, so please continue to follow us on social media for the latest updates.

On behalf of all of us at The Neighbors’ Place, thank you again for helping us to continue our mission of “People Helping People”! Our work is a blessing and a privilege, and we simply could not do it without the support of our community. Thank you!

Empty Bowls Update 2020

With so much yet unknown about the impact of Covid-19 on our 2020 and 2021 fundraising efforts, The Neighbors’ Place aims to be proactive and innovative regarding our future events. With continued concern surrounding large gatherings, and with the safety of our community in mind, The Neighbors’ Place is planning to redesign our signature fundraiser, Empty Bowls. Instead of our in-person event, we will be offering new ways for our community to support our mission and engage with our organization. This year’s revised Empty Bowls event will feature online sales of art, auction items, and bowls from local artists, businesses and community members. This will allow more people than ever to partake in the event, which nurtures the community spirit always present at Empty Bowls.

We feel strongly that it is important for this event to take place in 2020 to continue the discussion about food insecurity in our community. We have seen firsthand the increased requests for food pantries and food assistance, and we will continue to serve those in need in our community. Be sure to watch our website and social media for Empty Bowls 2020 updates!

Fun Fact – Did you know The Neighbor’s Place is a member of the Feeding America network? Now you know!

Feeding America is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization—a powerful and efficient network of 200 food banks across the country. As food insecurity rates hold steady at the highest levels ever, the Feeding America network of food banks has risen to meet the need.

Thank You to Our Volunteers!

Because the health and safety of our community is of the utmost importance to our organization, The Neighbors' Place has chosen to limit the amount of people inside the building - only volunteers and staff are currently allowed to work indoors. Our food distribution model now serves all of our guests outside the building via a drive-up service, with walk-ups and bikers also welcome. This limits interaction between staff, volunteers and our guests coming to utilize our services, but still allows us to serve our community!

The Neighbors’ Place follows the guidance from the USDA, DHS, and Marathon County Health Department and will continue with our outdoor food distribution model until we feel it is safe to return to our indoor food pantry. The Neighbors' Place will continue to offer outdoor food distribution in the safest manner possible to ensure we protect those we serve as well as our volunteers, visitors and staff.

We can't thank our volunteers enough for all their efforts in our Food Pantry, Basic Needs Bank, Wheels Again Program and Community Garden!

As we go through these difficult times, the work of our volunteers has been more important than ever and their contributions have been integral to the success of our changing programming. The majority of our volunteers are assisting with our food distribution program – packing and sorting food, doing deliveries, interacting with our guests and supporting our new efficient outdoor model. We’re so grateful to our community for supporting our mission and putting in the work it takes to feed our neighbors. Looking to get involved with The Neighbors’ Place as a volunteer? Fill out an application here!

We Will Be Having Our Popular Food Box Distribution Again in August!

Through a partnership with the USDA, Marathon County Hunger Coalition and The Neighbors' Place, food boxes will be distributed again in August on a first come, first served basis. The Farmers to Families food boxes are a USDA initiative that works to provide food from American farmers to families in need. Food boxes will contain fresh produce, as well as meat and dairy products. To keep the community safe and healthy, food will be distributed outdoors at the Farmers Market lot through a drive-up model. See the flyer for more information. Learn more about the Farmers to Families food boxes here!

Singing for Their Supper - Thank You!

The Neighbors' Place was honored to take part in the fundraiser Singing For Their Supper, hosted by WSAW Newschannel 7 and sponsored by Incredible Bank and Church Mutual. A country music telethon ran nationally on Grey Television stations, and WSAW encouraged the community to donate to The Neighbors' Place. This event was extended due to the overwhelming response from the community and together, our community was able to raise over $100,000 for The Neighbors' Place! We were completely overwhelmed by this generosity and continue to be humbled by the showing of support for our organization and its mission. Thank you.