MONROE — Local couple Rick and Nancy Maliszewski started the non-profit “Baker’s Dozen” during the COVID-19 pandemic. They gather baking supplies to make kits with all of the baking essentials and every year they add a new and different reusable item to the kits. This year there are 470 kits being made and they will have countertop utensils and matching measuring cups and spoons donated by a Wisconsin plastics company. 

The Maliszewskis started the project due to food pantries not having baking supplies.

“When COVID hit, Nancy and I were going to help at the food pantry,” said Rick Maliszewski. “When we got to the food pantry, as generous as they were with food and produce for people to eat, we learned there was nothing for the people to bake with. No salt, no sugar, etc. Especially no spices, no oil. I remember as a child growing up on the farm, when I would come in from chores with my brothers, we would see mom and our sisters baking up a storm, bonding; the house smelt good, and I thought maybe we could bring this back. And that’s how it got started five years ago.”

This past Thursday, Nov. 13, they packed the kits for 2025. There were 40 volunteers packing them and some even just showed up because they saw “Baker’s Dozen” signs on the streets. Some donors include SSM Health, Monroe Morning Optimist, Monroe Kiwanis, Father Campion Fund and Klondike Cheese. Rick Maliszewski said those are some of the larger donors, and there are also very good donations from community members for $1,000 or less. The donations helped them make 470 kits with a budget of $19,800 — the budget in the first year was just $9,000. Some other donations were received by Parfection Produce in Monticello — they donated eggs and butter — and Shullsburg Creamery sold them butter for a lower price. 

Pantries that receive the kits are Brodhead, Albany, St. Vincent de Paul, South Wayne, Argyle, Blanchardville and New Glarus. There are 470 kits being sent out this year and the first year 300 were sent out. If their pantries numbers go up, so will the number of kits the next year. As of right now Maliszewski expects to make 490 next year. Maliszewski starts shopping for the reusable items in July and shopping for food in August.

“I wanna thank the community because this is just a sign that Monroe is a community built on kindness. If they wanna donate, please just donate the Baker’s Dozen at the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin on the southwest side of the square. Or they can see in the newspaper the bar code, the QR code, and donate that way,” said Maliszewski.