LA CROSSE (WKBT) -- After nearly two years of construction, WAFER food pantry is open to customers on Gillette and George streets.
A big part of Wafer’s mission is to meet people where they are. This new spot does that in more ways than one.
At La Crosse’s WAFER food pantry, volunteers like Carol Schroeder make the most of the time they have.
“It is by far the best part of my week," Schroeder said. "It has met all of my needs and then some.”
At its new location—they hope to meet everyone's needs in more ways than one.
“Just because someone is in need of food help doesn’t mean the services provided should be less than what we would experience," Waldhart said.
The pantry looks and feels like a grocery store.
It’s a victory—a long time coming.
"The whole process of renovations and construction is done, and now we get to see the fruit of our labor," Waldhart said.
Volunteers stock shelves. They also guide patrons through the pantry.
This new location lets them inside for the first time since the pandemic began.
"It is exciting to see how this system really works," Schroeder said.
Executive director Erin Waldhart says this is a win for volunteers.
It is also a win for the people they serve.
“A lot of times, people who come here, we’re the only interaction they get in a day," Waldhart said. “Once those relationships develop, maybe there’s discussions for more things than just food... If we are able to offer other resources, or referrals or assistance in some way that we can lift the whole person up, and not solely focus on the food.”
It is a chance for WAFER to help people when it matters most.
Helping people when it matters most.
This new location also pulls Wafer out of the floodplain and into the middle of La Crosse’s north side.
Waldhart tells me this change allows their staff to focus less on sandbagging on rainy days-- and more on the people they serve.
To learn more about what wafer offers the community... and how you can get involved... you can check out their website.
To learn more about what WAFER offers the community and how you can get involved, you can check its website.
COPYRIGHT 2023 BY NEWS 8 NOW/NEWS 8000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
Emily Haugen graduated from the University of St. Thomas in May 2021 with a degree in communication and journalism with minors in English and political science. She was raised in Fairmont, Minnesota, a small town located along I-90 with her three siblings and cat named Batman. She loves the Midwest and all its seasons, so she’s excited to experience them in La Crosse. During her time at St. Thomas, Emily worked at the student-run news organization TommieMedia, where she anchored, reported and eventually directed the organization. She also interned at the Under-Told Stories Project for PBS NewsHour where she learned about solutions-based journalism and created a podcast episode about the Rondo Land Bridge in St. Paul. Emily has always loved storytelling, creating everything from newspapers to plays as a kid. For fun, Emily loves to paint, play guitar and go for runs. She ran Grandma’s Marathon in 2019 and the Twin Cities Marathon this fall!
