Beyond Madison: Nourishing our Neighbors on the Move

For many families in rural communities, access to healthy food is not a short drive away — it can mean traveling long distances to reach the nearest grocery store or pantry. Catholic Charities’ Parish Social Ministries Mobile Food Pantry program bridges that gap, ensuring neighbors across our 11-county service area can put nutritious meals on the table close to home. In partnership with Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, the program brings fresh produce, meat, and pantry staples each month to parish sites in Fort Atkinson, Reedsburg, Pardeeville, Portage, Patch Grove, Highland, Monroe, Janesville, Boscobel, and Platteville. There is no cost to participate and all are welcome, allowing households to stretch limited budgets and remain safely housed while meeting other essential needs.

Since 2005, the mobile pantries have quietly become a lifeline in communities without large metropolitan food resources. In 2025 alone, the program recorded more than 57,000 visits, serving 12,407 unduplicated individuals across 2,174 households — averaging 218 households per pantry each month. Over half of participants reported relying solely on these mobile distributions rather than any other pantry service, demonstrating how vital they are in rural areas where the average drive to a distribution site is 16.6 minutes. The neighbors served represent entire communities: 39.1% seniors, 37.5% adults, and 23.4% children, each receiving consistent nourishment that supports health, independence, and stability.

Through these parish partnerships, Catholic Charities lives out the mission of Nourishing Our Neighbors far beyond Madison and Dane County. Each distribution is more than food — it is a reminder that rural families are seen, valued, and supported. By meeting people where they are, the Mobile Food Pantry program strengthens communities across the Diocese and ensures geography never determines whether a neighbor goes hungry.