Oshkosh Area Community Pantry reports sharp rise in demand, urges local donations as SNAP benefits stall

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…