By Jo Mahlum
Contributing Writer
GREEN BAY – On Feb. 14, Paul’s Pantry celebrated 40 years of service.
Leo Frigo founded Paul’s Pantry in 1984 as a result of a need to care for hungry people in the community who are unable to purchase enough food for their families as a result of their meager or no incomes.
Their goal is to provide a family with enough food every week for as long as needed, so they may use their food dollars for shelter, utilities and other necessities, and avoid being homeless.
“We have relied exclusively on the community for the past 40 years,” stated Paul’s Pantry Assistant Executive Director Bob Hornacek.
The pantry does not accept government funding of any kind and Bob explained why,
“The reason we do not have government funding is not a political decision, it is a flexibility decision,” explained Hornacek.
“We want to have the flexibility to do the right thing for the people that matter in our community without leaving anyone out in the cold.
“Paul’s Pantry is not just about the food, it is about the dignity. We provide them with a grocery store experience.”
And the need for this type of experience has never been greater.
“We have never been busier than we are right now; last year was our busiest year. We made over 50,000 household visits, averaging 240 households that shop five days a week,” Hornacek added.
“In the past year, we would have had more than 60,000 volunteer hours, over 28,000 of those hours were returned by the families that have received food from our pantry.”
Paul’s Pantry serves the community members and families in Brown County.
The need for the pantry in the community has increased over the years, but so has the community’s response to that need.
“We express our sincerest thanks to our community for providing the generosity that they have,” Bob stated.
The doors that founder Leo Frigo opened four decades ago continued to do an immense amount of good for the Brown County community.