Food Demand Declines Overall Across Northern Wisconsin

A regional food bank is seeing less demand overall at area food pantries in northern Wisconsin. However, food shelves in Superior, Bayfield and Poplar are seeing more demand for their services.

Shaye Moris, executive director of Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank, said the nonprofit organization serves 45 food pantries and 10,000 people each month in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Moris said the food bank has seen a 6-percent decrease in demand across northwestern Wisconsin this year.

“Changes happened in the economy. That’s a good sign,” she said. “Certainly, we know our unemployment numbers are low right now so that was probably a benefit to many people that were utilizing the food shelves.”

Moris said three years ago the food bank served as many as 18,000 people each month. Despite the economic recovery, she said the need at food pantries around Poplar, Superior, and Bayfield rose by roughly 17 to 19 percent this year.

“It could again just be high population of seniors,” she said. “Could be people are working and not making enough income to sustain their expenses in a given monthly timeframe. These are some contributing factors.”

Moris said some people across the region still face challenges putting food on the table whether it’s juggling medical expenses or rising utility costs. She said some may be living on a fixed income or struggling to find full-time work. Moris added they often see the need increase around the holiday season.

“Many families — their kids go to school with other kids, who are used to presents and big holiday celebrations,” she said. “I think families feel compelled to want to be able to provide that same type of holiday for themselves and their families.”

The BRICK Ministries in Ashland is seeing about 1,600 people each month at the four food shelves they serve in Ashland, Mellen, Cable and Cornucopia. Executive Director Liz Seefeldt said they serve about twice that many people each year. As the holidays draw near, she said they’re also seeing more stress among the people they serve.

“That anxiety level for our consumers, you can really feel that increase because our consumers they are living on the edge already,” she said. “Then, there are the additional expectations that come along with the holidays to not just put food on the table, but to put a nice huge feast on the table.”

Despite low unemployment, Seefeldt said people may struggle to find work in the off-season or grapple with drug and alcohol abuse.

“There are always the folks who are — maybe have less potential for changing their situation over time,” she said. “Maybe it’s going to be somebody who is retired and is only drawing on social security, and doesn’t have any other pension or retirement.”

Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank supplies around 5.8 million pounds of food every year across northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

Editor’s note: Danielle Kaeding contributed to this report.