About a year ago I volunteered to work at the Waushara County Food Pantry. I just showed up and met Marty Lee, the director. She took the time, showed me around, explained how things worked. I felt like I was given the VIP tour. She’s really such a character. I of course asked a lot of questions and discovered she answers by telling a story, or two, or three.
Anyway, I signed up to see what I was getting into. I found all of the volunteers to be dedicated, committed, resourceful, tenacious individuals working together as a team. When the pandemic began in February, Marty and the team decided to keep the pantry open and people could pick up food at the door. In boxes and ready to go.
Working for Spectrum in the Central Valley over the last several years I really saw first-hand the suffering and despair in many families. Spectrum was encouraging employees to nominate organizations in need of assistance. So, I wrote a narrative of the pantry’s need. Their mission and the volume of food being distributed throughout the county and regional area.
I know it would be very competitive and corporate, I’m sure, got many requests.
One of the things I mentioned that I believed the Waushara County Food Pantry to be the best kept secret of any non-profit organization in the Midwest if not the country and listen ten plus reasons and examples to that effect. Highlighting the sheer volume of food being distributed by a small group of amazing and blessed group of individuals.
So, the pantry does need more volunteers. The pantry continues to do mobile’s throughout the county.
Marty really is the Mother Theresa. The pantry is a beacon of light for us all. I have never seen her turn down any request. She has a truly networked system of vendor working together to provide quality meat, dairy, produce, bakery and canned goods.
This pandemic is real and the rural areas are particularly ravaged. It isn’t just food insecurity. We have an economic pandemic, mental health pandemic and political polarization. These coupled with social meeting disinformation has crippled all of us. The volunteers are respectful, compassionate and good listeners. It truly is a family.
I would also like to note that the pantry does make house calls.
Respectfully,
Larry Kane, Charter Spectrum Communications
