By Sandy Fuller HCFS Chair
The Hayward Community Food Shelf is celebrating its 40th year of operation. In 1985, a small group of concerned citizens saw a need to address hunger in our community and started the Food Shelf. That spirit of giving has continued uninterrupted through the years, as the need in our area continued to grow. HCFS expects to serve more than 650 unique families by the end of the year. Those families represent over 1,700 individuals. By year’s end, we will distribute over 510,000 pounds of food through all our programs.
In addition to the general program that provides a 3-to-5-day supply of food to anyone in need, there are several other programs. The Food 4 Kids program includes Hayward Public Schools, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Schools, St. Francis Mission Schools, and Northern Lights Christian Academy. This year-round program expects to help over 220 kids per week by the end of 2024 with more than 50,000 pounds of food distributed to the kids in our community. Food 4 Seniors collaborates with the Meals-On-Wheels program to provide an emergency box of food to 125 homebound participants throughout Sawyer County. Food 4 Transition provides a box of emergency food to families when HCFS is not open, or for people who can’t get to the Food Shelf. Boxes are kept at the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Department, the Bizhiki Wellness Center and the Sawyer County Public Health Nurse. Our newest program is Food 4 Homeless that in addition to “homeless-friendly” food provides a variety of needed supplies.
These programs are only possible because of the generosity of our donors. HCFS receives no federal or state funding. HCFS has no paid staff. Volunteers work to be good stewards of donated funds. Equally important, volunteers serve those in need of food assistance in an efficient, compassionate, and non-judgmental manner.
With one in seven Sawyer County residents considered food insecure, HCFS’s mission has never been more important. In this holiday season, the generosity of our donors, the hard-work and commitment of our volunteers and the trust of our clients brings some relief and security to our neighbors. As one person put it, “Thank you for all that you are doing for this community. This helps our working family out a lot.” If you’d like to donate or volunteer, please go to our website www.haywardfoodshelf.net for more information.