“It’s the Only Way I’m Going to Get Food”
January 20, 2026
For Wayne, the difference between empty shelves and dinner? This pantry.
“I’ve been coming here several years,” he says. “Got to be more than eight years, almost when it started.”
Like many older adults in Eastern Wisconsin, Wayne lives on a fixed pension. And nearly every dollar goes toward basic expenses. “My pension check goes for bills,” he explains. “[This pantry is] the only way I’m going to get food.”
Wayne has seen grocery prices go up, and like many, he’s felt the squeeze. “Groceries have gotten insanely expensive,” he says, and that means more older adults are left with difficult decisions. For Wayne, food access isn’t about convenience — it’s the only option.
“If places like this didn’t exist… I don’t know.”
When asked what he would say to the donors who help make these services possible, Wayne doesn’t hesitate:“It helps out!”
