2008 was another year of significant expansion for The River Food Pantry. Pantry usage almost doubled from 2007. Several sizeable donations allowed an expansion of pantry hours. The River continues to be a very significant resource for the north side of Madison and for all of Dane County. The pantry has established itself as one of the largest in the county. The River Food Pantry is still almost 100% volunteer driven, unusual for an organization of our size.
The number of people using the pantry increased tremendously. The River served 34,552 individuals in 2008, a 92.5% increase over 2007. Pantry usage rose to an average of over 300 households per week by the end of the year.
In April, The River Food Pantry added a Tuesday-Noon pantry session. The new Tuesday hours are 12:001:30 p.m. session proved to be extremely popular, averaging over 110 families. Tuesday evenings are also well attended. Friday night pantry usage which frequently exceeded 160 households during the first-half of the year moderated at 120 to 140 families per session.
As the economy deteriorated this year and the pantry usage accelerated, the availability of donated food through our food bank decreased. The months of August through November were especially difficult months. We were forced to purchase food through local grocery wholesalers and low-cost retailers. This was the only way to keep nutritious food on our shelves. Additionally, the monthly government commodities (TEFAP) distributions were meager until November of last year.
Our volunteer base has held steady over the course of the year. We need 35 to 45 volunteers on Friday night, 15 to 25 for each of the Tuesday sessions. A huge encouragement to us is the number of volunteers who are also clients of the pantry. Approximately 25% of our volunteers also use the pantry for their own families. It is a practice we strongly encourage. Together we have built a community that is united in service. Our volunteers come from different churches, educational institutions and also from the community. We all work together for the purpose of accomplishing our mission.
We estimate that we distributed over 535,360 pounds of food this past year. The pantry has logged over 20,000 volunteer hours for 2008.
We are extremely grateful for how God continues to provide for us in so many ways and how He continues to bring positive change to the lives of so many of our volunteers and clients. There are many testimonies! We would like to thank everyone for their support and prayers. Please stop by and visit us sometime!
The River Food Pantry is located at 2201 Darwin Road, Madison. (608) 442-8815. www.theriver-madison.org, e-mail =river@theriver-madison.org.