This article was by written by journalists at USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin newspapers and reposted to this website for informative purposes only.

The Stock the Shelves campaign is back and ready to stuff food pantries across eastern Wisconsin, just in time for the holidays.

The annual campaign was launched in 1995 — a whopping 30 years ago — out of the Appleton Post-Crescent’s newsroom. Back then, it benefited just two Fox Cities community organizations.

In 2010, it was broadened to cover the areas served by nine USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin newspapers, and in 2011 that spread to 10 communities: Appleton, Green Bay, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Wausau, Marshfield, Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids. It’s since expanded even further, looping in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s readership area, as well as Door and Oconto counties.

A lot has changed since 1995.

Back then, Windows 95 was the hot new computer operating system, Pogs and Beanie Babies were sweeping the nation and Toy Story was in theaters. Nowadays, it’s all about whichever iOS we’re up to, Labubus and, well, hype for Toy Story 5.

One of the most noticable changes, however, is that $10 worth of 1995-priced goods cost $21.56 today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index inflation calculator.
Amber Hutchison, executive director of Painting Pathways Clubhouse, stocks a bag of rice in the facility’s pantry area, Tuesday, October 8, 2024, in Manitowoc, Wis.

While a certain amount of inflation is part of the economy — the Federal Reserve aims for about 2% annually — there’s no denying that families in the last few years have been feeling the pinch. And it’s not just inflation putting folks in a pickle, as it were. Recent tariffs are beginning to make their impact known, climate change is hitting some specific products and while egg prices are coming back down, bird flu isn’t gone for good.

Ultimately, we find ourselves in 2025 with a few constants: Things are expensive, and people in Wisconsin need help.

According to Feeding America’s 2025 Map the Meal Gap study, nearly 700,000 people in the state were considered food insecure in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available.

Starting today, Oct. 1, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin newsrooms will collect donations for 31 days to support food pantries in our communities.

“Fortunately, we’re not starting at zero thanks to our generous partners, Greater Fox Cities Chapter of Credit Unions and Mike and Mary Salsieder, who are providing a combined $45,000 in matching funds for this year’s campaign,” said Bryan Arnold, general manager of the Green Bay Press-Gazette and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “But we do need your help if you have anything to give.”

“Our goal is to raise enough money for 550,000 meals.”

And we’re not just here to ask for donations — we’re here to help using our talents for storytelling and communication. During October, the network’s reporters will shout out the volunteers who make our communities’ pantries run, offer tips on where to turn if you need food assistance, and explain how hunger in Wisconsin fits into the bigger picture.

“We know our readers are as concerned about hunger as we are in our newsrooms across the state,” said Greg Borowski, executive editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who also oversees USA TODAY Network newsrooms in Appleton and Green Bay. “We are also confident they will come through when it comes to supporting this important effort.”

“We are proud to be part of this and other efforts to improve the communities where we live.”

Why are we working with Feeding American Eastern Wisconsin?

Each dollar raised by our campaign represents $10 in purchasing power, thanks to our partnership with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. The organization receives items in bulk quantities from manufacturers, growers, wholesalers and retailers, and relies on volunteers to repack the items into family-sized portions, which are distributed to its more than 400 partner pantries across 35 counties.

“When people find themselves in serious need they turn to their communities, and their local pantries, for aid,” said Arnold. “It’s important that those resources are there for them, and that’s why we repeat this campaign every year.”

How to donate to Stock the Shelves

To donate online, visit FeedingAmericaWI.org/StockTheShelves

To donate by mail, checks made payable to Feeding American Eastern Wisconsin, ATTN: Stock the Shelves, should be sent to 1700 W. Fond du Lac Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53205.

Enclose with your contribution the donor’s address with city, state and ZIP code for internal processing, a notation of whether the donation should remain anonymous, and/or whether the donation is in the memory of someone special. Also list the donor’s name as it should appear in a thank-you advertisement to be published in the Thanksgiving editions of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin’s daily newspapers.

For a map of food pantries, meal programs, and shelters supported by Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, visit FeedingAmericaWI.org/Find-A-Pantry