You may see more people rely on food pantries in the coming weeks. Last month, the United States Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, ending a federal program that provided extra benefits to households enrolled in Wisconsin’s FoodShare program. That means some families will have at least $95 less to spend on certain groceries. An estimated 700,000 Wisconsinites could be affected by the change. The program had been in place since the beginning of the pandemic. With food prices still up over 13 percent from last year, many residents are turning to food pantries to fill the gap. The Washington Island Food Pantry has seen an uptick in usage, especially among seasonal workers living in the town during the off-season. Ashley Madson from Feed my People Door County in Sturgeon Bay expects to see new faces in addition to their usuals.

Madson says items like pasta, canned meats, and snacks for kids are always in high demand at their food pantry.