Green Bay Press-Gazette joins 'Stock the Shelves' food drive
Campaign runs through Nov. 16

GREEN BAY — The Green Bay Press-Gazette has joined forces with the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation and three other organizations to kick off a "Stock the Shelves" campaign that will help ensure local food pantries are well-supplied to feed residents who need help in the Green Bay community this holiday season.

Through Nov. 16, residents of Brown, Door, Kewaunee and Oconto counties can donate to the Stock the Shelves fund and know their money directly benefits food pantries serving the less fortunate in their community.

"As an integral part of this community, we feel it is not only extremely important, but a privilege to help bring people together to help those in need. This is a very worthy cause, and we are excited to be a part of it," said Kevin Corrado, president and publisher of the Press-Gazette.

The Press-Gazette approached the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation to be a community partner in the effort earlier this year, and they jumped at the opportunity.

"We're all about promoting philanthropy in the community," said Lindsay Byrne, the Community Foundation's communications director. "Raising money for the food pantries now will not only assist through the holidays, but the campaign will help to sustain food pantries throughout the entire year."

The Stock the Shelves push is part of a new statewide campaign involving Gannett Wisconsin Media daily newspapers, including The Northwestern of Oshkosh and The Post-Crescent of Appleton, which started the campaign 14 years ago.

In the Press-Gazette's inaugural year, the campaign has set a goal of raising $75,000, all of which will go to food pantries in the greater Green Bay community.

Corrado was confident the generous residents in the four-county area would pitch in to meet and even exceed that goal.

"When a community comes together as a whole to help those in need, there is nothing they can't do," Corrado said. "This program has run successfully in Appleton for many years, and we think it will be just as much of a success here in our area."

To meet the goal, the Press-Gazette is getting help from J.J. Keller Foundation, which is offering a $15,000 matching grant as an incentive.

Additionally, Express Convenience Centers, a division of U.S. Oil Co., will donate 5 cents per gallon from all gas purchased at Fox Cities Express stores, up to $15,000, throughout the campaign.

Brown County credit unions are donating $5,500, as well as collecting nonperishable food items.

In all, 10 local food pantries will benefit from this year's "Stock the Shelves" campaign, including Paul's Pantry of Green Bay and The Salvation Army of Green Bay.

The remaining benefiting pantries will be highlighted throughout the campaign.

Paul's Pantry expects this to be its busiest year to date, and Meghan Diemel of The Salvation Army has already seen food pantry visits increase from last year.

The Salvation Army served 15,132 people in its past fiscal year accounting for 9,200 bags of food, and capitalizing on the holiday giving is essential to continue meeting those growing numbers.

"It's important for us to highlight the need for food in Brown County during holidays because it's a time that people look to try and give back to their communities. It's one of the easiest things that someone can do," Diemel said.

Readers can find a link to donate online at www.greenbaypressgazette.com/stocktheshelves.

Residents wanting to contribute can donate directly to the foundation — which established a fund to collect and distribute the donations to the food pantries — in person, by mail or online at www.ggbcf.org

All donors will be named in promotional ads running throughout the campaign.