WayForward Resources

05/28/2026

Food insecurity is affecting children and teens right here in Dane County, and the ripple effects will last for years to come.

Over 12% of children in Dane County were food insecure in 2022, according to Feeding America. In the 2024 Youth Assessment issued by the Dane County Department of Human Services, nearly 10% of high schoolers reported skipping meals or eating less at least once in the past 30 days because their family did not have enough money for food. 13% of students stated they wouldn't eat at all, most days, if they didn't get breakfast and lunch at school. Hunger can take a tangible toll on students, and these consequences often extend into adulthood. People who grow up experiencing food insecurity report higher rates of mental health challenges, including depression and anxiety.

So, how does WayForward help? Nearly 80% of the people we serve in our food and housing programs are in households with children. Not only are our food pantry programs vital to creating food access for families, but our community partnerships are also important. We communicate regularly with school social workers and other community service providers to better support our neighbors in connecting with the resources they need.

05/26/2026

In honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, WayForward is celebrating the work and legacy of US Representative Patsy Takemoto Mink of Hawai'i (1927–2002). Mink was the first woman of color to be elected to Congress and earned a reputation as an unstoppable advocate for gender equity, education initiatives, and social programs to support low income Americans.

Mink built her legal and political career amidst rampant gender and racial discrimination. She made a more equitable future possible through socially progressive legislation, including the Head Start program and Title IX Educational Amendment of 1972 (which was later re-named in Mink's honor.) Today's federal nutrition programs exist in large part thanks to her exceptional commitment to "a policy of the living who prefer life over death, wellness over sickness, education over illiteracy... food over hunger," as she stated in a 1981 Ms. Magazine profile. After her passing in 2002, Mink was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her impact on American life—our nation's highest civilian honor.

You can learn more about Patsy Takemoto Mink's work and impact here:

https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/18329

https://news.uchicago.edu/story/principled-politician-story-patsy-mink-first-woman-color-elected-congress

https://densho.org/catalyst/patsy-mink/

05/22/2026

Our local Scouts have been working hard to create stability and food security for our neighbors! A huge thank you to BSA Troop 140 Middleton and Scouts BSA Troop 40 for collecting 1160 pounds of food and over $500, Cub Scout Pack 140 - Middleton for donating 662 pounds of food and $250, and Scouts BSA Troop 940 Middleton, WI and Cub Scout Pack 240 - Middleton, WI for donating 1169 pounds and $650 to the WayForward Resources Food Pantry. Troop 940 and Scout Pack 240 even broke their troop donation record during one incredible collection day in our community.

05/21/2026

This Memorial Day weekend, the WayForward Resources Food Pantry, Clothing Center, and Office will be closed Saturday, May 23 through Monday, May 25. We'll be back to our regular hours on Tuesday.

Este fin de semana del Día de los Caídos (Memorial Day), la despensa de alimentos, el centro de ropa y la oficina de WayForward permanecerán cerrados desde el sábado 23 de mayo hasta el lunes 25 de mayo. Retomaremos nuestro horario habitual el martes.

05/20/2026

The University of Wisconsin’s Institute for Research on Poverty’s policy brief shows the negative impact of eviction on families' well-being over time. Researchers followed families who had been evicted and those who had not after their eviction cases were filed. The results showed “lasting effects on renters’ earnings, probability of homelessness, and domains of health, including physical, psychological, and financial.” The research indicates that “eviction prevention can be cost-effective in that it greatly reduces downstream negative effects.”

So, how does WayForward help our neighbors avoid eviction? Our Housing Stability programs focus on assisting families before they experience the trauma of homelessness. Our two-track housing approach matches families to either short-term intervention support or intensive long-term case management based on their specific situation. Both programs focus on helping families reach stability and stay in their housing.

You can read the full policy brief from UW here: https://www.irp.wisc.edu/resource/eviction-prevention-reducing-harm-to-households-and-society/

05/18/2026

"As soon as food goes on the shelf, it's emptied... What used to be an emergency stopgap here at the pantry is becoming a regular necessity."

Last week, WKOW 27's Ryan Lynch visited the WayForward Resources Food Pantry to discuss the 15% increase in visits we experienced in April compared to the month before, and the impact of rising costs for basic necessities on our organization and community, with Vice President of Programming Meghan Sohns. WayForward volunteers, Miguel Delmoral and Thomas Bartell, also shared how they help make pantry guests feel welcome and supported. “Everyone needs to eat."

When people are on limited budgets or fixed incomes, there is very little — if any — wiggle room for increases in expenses for basic needs like food, housing, transportation, and health care. Any change can create a financial gap for families. When people can't afford to feed themselves and their families because of these increases, they often turn to food pantries like WayForward.

Watch and read the full interview now on WKOW: https://www.wkow.com/news/middleton-food-pantry-sees-15-jump-in-demand-as-grocery-prices-spike-fastest-in-4/article_6ae03ae4-2e60-4e74-acd7-c97bac40d424.html

05/15/2026

Congratulations to Meals Matter for receiving the 2026 William R. Simms Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy, Group, sponsored by Carter through the
Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Foundation for Philanthropy! Nominated by the AFP Greater Madison Chapter, the award was presented to representatives Rohan Dileep and Beatrice Norman. Rohan and Beatrice are Middleton High School seniors and co-presidents of the founding chapter, Middleton Meals Matter, and also Meals Matter executive board members. They traveled to AFP ICON 2026 in San Diego to receive their award last month.

Since 2024, Middleton Meals Matter–now one chapter within the larger Meals Matter umbrella–has raised over 70,000 pounds of food and over $15,000 dollars to support food security at WayForward Resources! You can watch Rohan and Beatrice's remarks at AFP ICON here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dsJBVcM9LA

05/14/2026

We are excited to share that over 140 people joined WayForward for dinner and an inspiring program last week at our event, Gather—raising over $204,000 together! Our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all the attendees, business sponsors, table hosts, lead donors, and silent auction contributors for their generosity and partnership in creating food security and housing stability in our community.

05/13/2026

This week, the WayForward Resources Food Pantry received 5,866 pounds of food thanks to the nationwide food drive made possible by the US Postal Service and National Association of Letter Carriers—with more donations still coming! Thanks to the generosity of our community members and the hard work of our volunteers and local postal workers, several pallets' worth of signature Stamp Out Hunger yellow donation bags were contributed, picked up, and stocked on our shelves to create greater food security for our neighbors💛

05/13/2026

Thank you to Crossroads Community Farm, LLC for fundraising in support of the WayForward Resources Food Pantry. If you’d like to provide our neighbors with access to fresh organic produce, this is one way to do so. The dollars raised during May, up to $10K, will be available for WayForward to purchase produce from the farm for our pantry. To donate: https://givebutter.com/WayForward_Crossroads

Fresh, organic food should be accessible to everyone. 🌱

At Crossroads Community Farm, we purposefully grow high-quality organic vegetables to give away to those struggling financially through our Purpose Grown Project. This season, over 25% of EVERYTHING we grow will go directly to individuals and families who won’t have to pay for it.

As the need for food assistance continues to rise across Dane County, we are partnering with WayForward Resources to help bring fresh, nourishing food to even more people in our community. Last year alone, WayForward served nearly 15,000 people through their pantry programs, mobile pantries, food delivery services, and emergency food support. The need is real — and growing.

So far in 2026, we have raised $215,000 to provide free food to area mobile and brick-and-mortar pantries, and now we’re hoping to expand that impact even further.
Will you help us reach our $10,000 goal to support WayForward and help provide fresh food to families in need? 💚

Consider donating through our Givebutter campaign and be part of bringing healthy food to your community.

05/12/2026

Next time you're at W***y Street Co-op, you can shop to support WayForward and 4 more local food pantries! Help us stock the items our neighbors need most by adding a Pack the Pantries bag ($15 or $20 value) to your grocery cart, May 4–May 31.

A spring refresh of goods are needed for our 5 local Dane County food pantries.

From May 4 through May 31, purchase a $15 or $20 bag filled with products they need and help them stock their shelves. Bags can be purchased at all 3 stores.

Goodman Community Center Lussier Community Education Center The River Food Pantry WayForward Resources Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center