Feeding Families, Nourishing Community: The Hodag Food Wagon's Mission of Hope

In the heart of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, a remarkable initiative is making waves, ensuring that no child goes hungry. The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry's Hodag Kids programs, spearheaded by the Hodag Food Wagon, are providing free bags of food to families with children, offering a lifeline of support during challenging times. This community-driven effort is more than just a distribution of sustenance – it's a testament to the power of neighbors helping neighbors and the transformative impact of a little bag of food.

Empowering Families, Strengthening Communities

Expanding Reach, Increasing Impact

The Hodag Food Wagon's impact has been nothing short of remarkable. In the just-completed school year, the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry distributed an astounding 8,132 bags of food through its Weekend Food for Kids program – a staggering 4,900 more bags than the previous year. This surge in distribution is a testament to the program's growing reach and the community's unwavering commitment to supporting families in need.The Hodag Food Wagon's summer program, which kicks off on July 11 and runs through August 29, aims to continue this momentum. Families with children can visit the Rhinelander District Library lawn from 4-6 pm on Thursdays to receive free bags of food, ensuring that no child goes hungry during the summer months. The program's success is evident in the dramatic increase in distribution, from just shy of 500 bags in 2021 to a remarkable 1,700 bags in 2023.

Adapting to Meet Evolving Needs

The Hodag Food Wagon program has undergone strategic changes to better serve the community. In 2022, the pantry adjusted the hours of availability and the contents of the bags, moving away from single-serve items and instead providing full-size family servings, such as the makings of a spaghetti dinner and a salad, along with more produce and coupons for bread, eggs, and milk. This shift reflects the pantry's commitment to addressing the diverse needs of families and ensuring that the food provided is both nutritious and substantial."If the kids are food insecure, the parents are, too," explains Courtney Smith, the Executive Director of the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry. "We know there are families for whom the cost of child care in the summer is almost crippling. If we can give a bag of food a week that helps out with that and alleviates that cost and keeps that household trucking along, we are happy to do it."

Fostering Community Engagement

The Hodag Food Wagon program is more than just a food distribution initiative; it's a testament to the power of community engagement. The program is entirely volunteer-driven and community-funded, with the pantry providing the structure and the community responding to the demand. This collaborative approach not only ensures the program's sustainability but also fosters a sense of ownership and investment among the residents of Rhinelander."It's not the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry, it's members of our community that came to the pantry and said this is something we need to do," Smith emphasizes. "It's completely volunteer-driven, completely community funded, completely neighbors helping neighbors and making sure our kids are fed."

Addressing the Broader Landscape of Food Insecurity

The Hodag Food Wagon program is just one facet of the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry's comprehensive approach to addressing food insecurity in the community. The pantry's Hodag Snack Attack program, a project by a Leadership Oneida County class, provides snacks for students from elementary through high school, taking a "whole student, whole school, whole community approach" to food."We know the power of food," Smith says. "There are days, when you're having a hard day and a little extra snack; a juice box can totally change your world."The pantry also recognizes the importance of empowering families to access the full range of resources available at the food pantry. While children make up only about 20% of the pantry's clientele, the goal is to encourage more families with children to regularly shop at the pantry, where they can access a wider variety of nutritious food, from butter and eggs to frozen meat and produce."We can make the largest impact by getting them here," Smith explains. "We have butter and eggs and frozen meat, amazing produce and pantry staples. We can save them a ton more money than just this bag of food can do."