Giving Back for What She Receives
October 26, 2026
For Deb, giving back and getting help aren’t opposites. They’re just part of being a neighbor. Every Monday and Wednesday, she shows up at Sheboygan County Food Bank to volunteer, and every month she relies on it to help stretch her family’s budget, too.
A real estate agent and property manager with two kids still at home, ages 9 and 17, Deb knows firsthand how quickly things can get tight. Especially in the summer, when her kids lose access to school meals. And like a lot of families right now, she’s feeling the pressure of rising costs.
“We’ve seen a little surge here and even in other spaces in the community,” she says. “The need is getting to be more.”
Deb is quick to push back on the idea that food pantry visitors aren’t working or aren’t trying.
“I think it is a misconception that it’s just people who are home all day or not working,” she says. “Everybody just has a story. And if we all listen to each other’s story and be kind, we can help one another.”
She’s brought her own kids along to volunteer too, because she believes it matters for them to see real community need up close. “I think it’s important for kids to know the community they’re in and the needs of the community,” she says.
This holiday season, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin donors like you can make sure that when a neighbor needs help, there’s somewhere to turn and someone there to welcome them.
