Food Pantry |
Location & Hours |
|
Our food pantry has been continuously operating for 33 years. From a small closet in a local church back in 1986 to an entire 9000 sq ft building today, we help families with limited resources make ends meet.
We carry a wide variety of healthy fresh and frozen produce, dairy, and proteins including milk, eggs, hamburger, chicken, and even frozen pizza. With the help of Second Harvest, the Community Action Coalition, community food drives, and cash donations we are also able to offer packaged goods including baking supplies, cereal, pasta, and canned tuna, fruits, vegetables, and soups. Our food recovery program provides the food pantry with bread and other bakery items donated from area grocers and ready-to-eat food from local companies with cafeteria services. Recovered food is also served during our free community meal offered on the 1st and 3rd Saturday each month from 11:30am - 12:45pm. See Eligibility below. |
|
|
|
|
Produce, Prepared Foods, & Artisan Bread
|
|
On most days throughout the summer and fall we have fresh garden produce and throughout the year we receive fresh fruit, vegetables, prepared foods, and artisan bread as part of our food recovery partnerships with MIllers Market, HyVee, Aldi, KwikTrip, Pick-N-Save, Epic and many other local retailers and food services operations.
Between monthly visits, families needing a little extra help are welcome to shop our hallway cooler and racks for extra bakery, milk, and produce. The hallway is open during public shopping hours. No registration is required. If you are a gardener with excess produce, please consider sharing with us. Drop-off is any time during public shopping hours and the facility can be accessed using the rear entrance. |
|
Eligibility
|
Kids Room
|
|
The Badger Prairie Needs Network food pantry serves households in the 53593 Zip Code, households in the Verona Area School District (parts of Fitchburg and south Madison), and households in the Cesar Chavez Elementary School Attendance Area.
On your first visit, please bring original ID for each member of your household and proof of address in our service area. Once registered, ID for the primary shopper is required for each monthly visit. The amount of food distributed will be based on household size and availability and generally, this amounts to about 2 weeks of food per person each month. Covering food for half of the month allows patrons the ability to pay for other basic needs with their limited resources - instead of skipping meals. A Dane County Joining Forces for Families social worker is available to help connect individuals with other assistance programs. If you live outside the 53593 Zip Code and don’t know if your address is in the Verona Area School District or the attendance area for Chavez Elementary, you can find out by entering your address at the MMSD website link below. Look for either of these schools in the results. |
Children visiting BPNN with their parents have a place of their own to read, play, and do craft projects. The kids room is fully visible from the waiting area and is often supervised by a volunteer to maintain order and good behavior. It's so much fun that we often hear complaints from the kids when they have to leave.
|