By Craig Marx, Editor

Just in time for the holidays, the giving Antigo Community Food Pantry recently received a $5,000 grant donation from the Packer Foundation in Green Bay, helping with the purchasing of food to help those in need.

The Packer Foundation selects a “theme” group every year to help provide for through its donation process, rotating between three different philanthropic categories such as: food shelters and homeless provisions, artistic and cultural pursuits and environmental or animal welfare organizations. Applying for the foundation’s donation as early as last January, Tonya McKenna Trabant wrote the grant on behalf of the pantry to begin the rather selective application process.

A total of 213 donations were made to shelters and human services organizations throughout the state of Wisconsin in 2017.

The Packer Foundation has been in operation since 1986 and works to help in-state charitable organizations grow and continue to provide the services they offer to the community. According to the foundation’s mission statement, the organization is  “an entity independent of the Green Bay Packers, Inc., supports charities possessing one or more of the following goals: perpetuates a community environment that promotes families and the competitive value of athletics; contributes to player and fan welfare; ensures the safety and education of children; and/or prevents cruelty to animals.”

The Antigo Community Food Pantry is great example of community outreach and caring, helping nearly 200 households per week in the struggle against hunger.

“This is such a generous community,” grant writer McKenna Trabant said. “Our local pantry is so well supported and is so important to have a community that cares as much as ours does.”

With the influx of donations from both local businesses along with the recent Packer donation, the pantry is looking to provide healthy options to those in need by helping educate people on making healthy choices. The Antigo Community Food Pantry offers a weekend food backpack program and is consistently looking for better ways to improve both the quality and sustainability of its services – such as a focus on the donation or purchase of long shelf-life vegetables like carrots that are both a healthy and economical choice for those who provide.

The pantry is always looking for donations, including basically anything that is edible. High protein options that are also able to be kept for long terms – such as tuna or peanut butter – are especially needed along with hearty and healthy grains such as oatmeal. Donations can be made to the Antigo Community Food Pantry at 2120 Progress Blvd. in Antigo. The organization can also be reached at (715) 623-1103.