MONROE — Family Promise of Green Country, in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern WI, has opened a community food pantry to serve families in Juda, Brodhead, and Albany communities. Discussions began in early 2022 to assess the increased need for services to families who were experiencing food insecurity and may not have available transportation to get to the Monroe Food Pantry or the Green Cares Food Pantry in Monticello. Meetings with Second Harvest Food Bank as well as input from the three school districts serving these communities indicated a great concern and an even greater need. 

Family Promise of Green County communicated with local churches and civic groups to open discussions about creating an additional pantry to serve these communities. Members of Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Brodhead had previously (2022) worked with Family Promise and the SWCAP Mobile Pantry program to allow the use of their parking lot on a monthly basis as the site for the mobile pantry stop. Earlier this year, Family Promise director; Rick Gleason met with the Church Council at Bethlehem Lutheran Church and asked them to consider designating space in their building to be used for a drive-through pantry program to which they agreed.

In August 2023, the pantry began serving families with the drive-up pantry operating the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month from 4 pm - 6 pm. Due to space limitations, the pantry is only able to serve families from the 53550, 53520, and 53502 zip codes. 

The pantry is located at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 405 E. 9th Ave, Brodhead, WI. Families are welcome to use the pantry on both days each month, ID is required.

During the first two months of operation, the pantry served 111 families for a total of 236 people. During that same period, they processed a total of 6,911 pounds (approximately 3 1/2 tons) of food for distribution. “We are grateful to all our volunteers, Second Harvest Food Bank our local Kwik Trip, and our Dollar General store in Brodhead who are ongoing donors to our food pantry.”

To learn how you can get involved by donating food or volunteering, contact Family Promise at 608-328-2600 or director@familypromisegreencounty. If you would like to support the food pantry financially, you can send your donation to: Family Promise of Green County, PO Box 378, Monroe, WI 53566 or contact us at the above-listed contacts. Please designate your donation as “Food Pantry.”