APPLETON — The annual "Stock the Shelves" campaign to make sure food pantries are well supplied to feed residents who need help has had another significant donation taking it closer to its $250,000 goal.

An anonymous donor contributed $35,000 and readers, through Fox Valley credit unions, have given $5,965 since Wednesday, bringing the total collected to $168,610. The anonymous donor is the same contributor who came forward last year and helped The Post-Crescent surpass its original $150,000 goal and raise $275,000 that went to local food pantries. Twenty food pantries will benefit from this year's Fox Cities campaign, which runs through Nov. 21.

"We know this donor understands the impact these dollars have on our community," said Dan Flannery, The P-C's executive editor. "Our food pantries depend on these funds to feed clients during hard times, and the need is great."

The P-C's $250,000 goal is part of a larger initiative to collect $615,000 for food pantries in nine newspaper markets of Gannett Wisconsin Media, including those of Green Bay Press-Gazette; the Oshkosh Northwestern; The Reporter, Fond du Lac; The Sheboygan Press; the Stevens Point Journal; the Daily Tribune, Wisconsin Rapids; the Marshfield News-Herald; and the Wausau Daily Herald.

Flannery said big donations are essential, but individual donations large or small are important to meeting the needs.

"It is obvious that the food banks serving our communities are stretched to capacity," he said. "Those of us who are fortunate to have jobs and means to share have an obligation to help neighbors."

Thus far, in addition to the anonymous gift and reader contributions, the Victor and Christine Anthony Family Foundation gave $35,000; the J. J. Keller Foundation donated a matching grant of $35,000; Express Convenience Centers is giving 5 cents per gallon of gas sold up to $35,000; and Fox Cities Chapter of Credit Unions, along with other Fox Valley credit unions, are matching up to $35,000 of donations.