The next time you go grocery shopping, consider adding a few items to the cart to support your local food pantry. States around the country are seeing increased usage of food pantries as Americans struggle with the high prices of groceries and the stagnation of wages. Recently, the United States Department of Agriculture cut more than a billion dollars from the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement programs for 2025 and cuts to the agency's Emergency Food Assistance program. According to United Way of Door County Executive Director Amy Kohnle, at least two food pantries within the Door County Food Pantry Coalition rely on federal funding to keep food on their shelves. Kohnle says the coalition is working together to ensure each other has what they need while plotting what must be done for the future.
Kohnle encourages you to donate to food pantries in your community if you have the means, whether it is boxes of cereal, cans of tuna, or dollars and cents.