Ryan Rasmussen, representing the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry, told the Oshkosh Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee in October that demand for pantry services has surged and that the pantry needs cash donations and volunteers to meet immediate needs. "We firmly believe that, nobody should have to go to bed feeling hungry," Rasmussen said during a 40‑minute presentation.

Rasmussen said the pantry is on pace to distribute roughly 3,000,000 pounds of food this year and averages about 2,800 family shops per month, up from about 1,300 a month four years ago. The pantry is registering about 100 new families per month. He said the pantry’s goal is to provide about 70–75 pounds per shop (roughly two weeks' worth of food), but that figure fell to about 53 pounds per shop in September amid rising demand.

The pantry has moved to a barrier‑free registration model: guests are not required to provide income verification, and registration only requests optional ID and proof of address to improve data for reporting and grants. Once registered, guests receive a pantry card for future visits. Guests may shop twice a month and are allowed one emergency extra shop per year.

On operations, Rasmussen described changes meant to improve dignity and choice. The pantry replaced a points system with a clearly labeled limit‑based approach, reconfigured shelving for store sight lines, placed produce front and center, relabeled aisles in four languages (English, Spanish, Swahili and Arabic) and weighs guest carts at checkout to track pounds for grant reporting.

Rasmussen described OACP’s service area as statewide in policy, though he said about 94% of guests come from surrounding counties and about 82% of those from Winnebago County. The pantry has six paid staff members and said it relies on volunteers for roughly 60–80 shifts per week; Rasmussen said the pantry is "99% run on volunteer help." He also highlighted programs including two hydroponic units for produce, a child‑friendly "kid pantry," a school pantry delivering fruit and granola bars to district schools (serving about 4,400 students weekly), and a recycling partnership that earns Trex benches.

On procurement, Rasmussen said Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin supplies about 70% of the pantry’s food, the federal Emergency Food and Assistance Program (TFAP) contributes roughly 7–8%, and the remainder comes from donations and purchases.

Rasmussen warned that federal funding and program changes are placing additional strain on local pantries. He said delays in SNAP (FoodShare) allotments associated with a federal shutdown could begin Nov. 1 and that the U.S. House bill referred to as "HR 1" shifts more responsibility for SNAP funding and error‑rate management to states and counties. Rasmussen noted Wisconsin’s error rate for FoodShare eligibility is about 4.5% (below the national average) and said states face new thresholds that could affect federal allocations.

Rasmussen also said the LFPA program — a federally funded program that paid farmers to grow produce for food banks — was eliminated earlier this year; the pantry expects it lost about $120,000 in produce for the summer as a result, and has raised roughly 70% of that shortfall locally.

Committee members asked about culturally appropriate foods and special diets; Rasmussen described outreach to regional ethnic markets and partnerships (including World Relief and local organizations) to source culturally familiar staples. He said much of that demand is for basic pantry staples — rice and noodles — along with produce.

Rasmussen closed with a call to action: increased monetary donations are most helpful now because they allow the pantry to purchase items not available through donations and to maximize purchasing power with partner agencies. He also asked for volunteers and donations of reusable bags, egg cartons and other commonly needed items.

Votes at a glance
• Motion to approve minutes from Sept. 22: "Move to approve." Vote (roll call): Krampp — aye; Kanak — aye; Beulah — aye; Toman — aye. Outcome: approved.
• Motion to cancel the December meeting: "Move to cancel." Vote (roll call): Grama — aye; Kanak — aye; Bulow — aye; Toman — aye. Outcome: approved.

Rasmussen’s presentation and handouts emphasized that local pantries and community donors will be the first line of response if federal benefits are delayed, and he urged residents to prioritize local monetary donations and volunteer time to help offset gaps in federal and programmatic support.