This year like many years before, we are determined to help our local community by donating 100 turkeys from Bernie’s Fine Meats in Port Washington, Wisconsin to our local Saukville/Port Washington Food Pantry. If you do the math, one 12-pound turkey can feed about 8 people so with our donating, we will be feeding over 800 people in our local community alone! We are currently accepting donations to help further this number and adding more food to the people who need it most in the local community.
There’s a lot of history with our local food pantry. Mark Gierach is in charge in the Saukville/Port Washington location for all of Ozaukee County. Over the years the food, donations, meals, and school supplies (just to name a few things) have positively effected thousands of people in our community. The doors opened in January of 2012 after a small hiatus right after the housing market crashed and people lost their jobs. Many of our friends and neighbors were having difficulties making ends meet and needed a place to pick up food to feed their families. We all can fall on hard times and that’s why it’s important to help when we are able.
There is a lot of need for the elderly and disabled in Ozaukee County as well as people struggling to make ends meet, so the food pantry is able to help anyone who may need it. Serving 120-140 families every month, Mark emphasized that they are so much more than just your traditional food pantry. They offer community meals for anyone 2 times a month at the Parkside United Church of Christ in Saukville on the lower level. Many people not only come for the food, but also for conversation and interaction. Anyone and everyone are welcome to join for their meals. To qualify for the food pantry is simple: you just need proof of residence that you live in Ozaukee County. That’s it.
They also offer a mobile food pantry from April to October for people who may have issues with transportation or getting out of their house. It is once a month at Grady Park and they feed approximately 100 families in less than 2 hours. Again, this is a service that everyone is welcome to, as long as you have proof that you reside in Ozaukee County.
Mark says that what people in Ozaukee County could do to help him would be pretty simple: volunteer and assist with the services offered from the food pantry and money is also a help. They need money as well if you’re interested in a cash donation because they have the ability to purchase food at a discounted rate from grocery stores and programs like Feeding America. They can also always use food donations of any kind to help out.
There have been many success stories with the food pantry in our area. A lot of people that once were down on their luck and used the food pantry now volunteer there. Mark has said it is amazing to see the impact it can have on people.
We at Schmit Bros are determined to help our local community not just for Thanksgiving, but all year round. Monetary and food donations can also be dropped off at the food pantry at 166 W Dekora Street in the lower level of the Parkside United Church of Christ here in Saukville or you can call 262-689-8591. We also can accept donations here at Schmit Bros. For more information, visit their website at http://saukvillefoodpantry.org/
Thank you and have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Love,
Your friends at Schmit Bros