FOOD PANTRY
HISTORY ABOUT THE FOCUS FOOD PANTRY
The FOCUS Food Pantry originally began in 1975 as the South Wood Emergency Pantry Shelf (SWEPS) to provide food to area residents only in emergency situations. SWEPS expanded dramatically over the last 45 years to now providing food on a regular basis to those in need in South Wood County. In 2020, SWEPS merged with The Neighborhood Table and the Rapids Family Backpacks program to become FOCUS. In 2020, the pantry provided food, hygiene products and educational services to over 6,300 households and nearly 18,500 people.
THE FOUNDING SERVICES OF FOCUS
SWEPS
SWEPS food pantry began in 1975 to provide food to area residents only in emergency situations. SWEPS expanded dramatically over the last 45 years and now provides food on a regular basis to those in need in South Wood County. In 2020 SWEPS provided food, hygiene products and educational services to over 6,300 households and nearly 18,500 people.
Focus Neighborhood Meals
TNT is a free community meal service that began with a meal served to approximately 50 people New Year’s Eve of 2003. TNT has grown substantially since 2003 and now offers meals every Thursday and the last two Tuesdays of the month (pre-COVID). Approximately 150 meals are served on Tuesdays and about 280 meals each Thursday.
RFB
RFB was established in 2011 to assist children with food insecurity needs over the weekend while away from school. Students take home a nondescript backpack filled with food items and a Kwik Trip voucher for perishable food items. The program currently runs from October to May and assists about 85 families.
NEWS STAY UP TO DATE
December 5, 2022
November 15, 2021
OUR IMPACT PRIMARY SERVICES
FOCUS has three primary services – the food pantry (SWEPS), free community meals (TNT) and loading backpacks (RFP) to help families over the weekend.
On average, since the beginning of 2021, FOCUS has provided 48,132 meals a month to help those with food insecurity in our community. In addition, 135,878 meals per month were provided as a result of hosting mobile food pantries.
If you would like to help us continue our mission, please click on the donate button below.