The Parish Mobile Food Pantry Program started in the Fall of 2005 to serve the rural communities who normally do not have access to the larger food pantries available in Madison. The program began as a collaborative effort between Catholic Charities and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Wisconsin and was made possible by the generous funding of the Jack DeLoss Taylor Charitable Trust. This program reflects each organization's goal of helping those in need.

The food pantry is a truck filled with food that parishioners volunteer to distribute. In just a short time, hundreds of pounds of food are distributed to those in need. Second Harvest loads the Foodbank truck and brings it to the various parishes, where volunteers assist people who come to pick up the food. This saves the parish from having to fundraise, shop or store the food. Second Harvest generously waives the standard delivery fee in order to allow all available funds for the purchase of food.

All parishes in the Diocese of Madison are invited to participate. Parishes currently being served include:St. Joseph Parish, Fort Atkinson; St. Mary Parish, Palmyra; St. Victor Parish, Monroe; St. John Parish, Patch Grove; St. Vincent de Paul with St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Portage; Immaculate Conception Parish, Boscobel; St. Anthony and St. Philip Parish, Highland; Sacred Heart, Reedsburg; St. John Vianney Parish in Janesville; and Holy Rosary Parish in Darlington.

It is the mission of Catholic Charities to address the basic needs of families. The Parish Mobile Food Pantry Program allows parish members to touch the lives of people in need - neighbor to neighbor.

For more information on the program, please contact Sue Palm at the Catholic Charities Franklin Street office at (608) 256-2358 or email spalm@ccmadison.org.