FORK Extra Program partners with Ruby’s Pantry to combat food insecurity

The Feed Our Rural Kids (FORK) Extra program has recently partnered with Ruby’s Pantry in Rhinelander to continue combating food insecurity in the North Woods by offering incentives to families visiting local food pantries for the first time.

“Working together is the key to the success of any organization,” explained FORK President Perry Pokrandt. “Through a collaborative partnership between our FORK Extra program and Ruby’s Pantry in Rhinelander, we hope to see both our organizations become more efficient in helping families with kids.”

FORK Extra’s goal is to increase the number of families with children who are served each month by the three local food pantries: the Vilas Food Pantry in Eagle River, Headwaters Food Pantry in Land O’ Lakes, and Three Lakes Christian Food Pantry in Three Lakes.

“We do this by offering families with kids an added incentive for visiting their local pantry for the first time,” Pokrandt continued.

The incentive FORK Extra currently offers for each pantry’s newly registered families is two $25 grocery vouchers per child. Starting Sunday, June 1, the FORK Extra incentive will include a free introductory visit to Ruby’s Pantry, a ministry of Calvary Baptist Church in Rhinelander.

“Ruby’s Pantry is for anyone who eats food,” offered Pastor Rod Ankrom of Calvary Baptist Church. “We are excited to work with FORK to introduce the benefits of Ruby’s Pantry to young families.”

Ruby’s Pantry is located at the National Guard Armory, 1136 Adams Way, in Rhinelander. Ruby’s Pantry food distributions are on the third Tuesday of each month from 4:30 – 6 p.m. Each guest makes a $25 donation and receives an abundance of grocery items. Ruby’s Pantry has no income or residency requirements.

“There is no better source of local food support in the North Woods than our traditional local food pantries,” added Pokrandt. “It is our hope that these expanded FORK Extra incentives will encourage economically challenged families to stop in to see what their local food pantry has to offer, and at the same time learn about the difference a monthly visit to Ruby’s Pantry can make within their food budget.”

Also starting June 1, all the families with children currently utilizing the above-mentioned food pantries will also receive a voucher for one free visit to Ruby’s Pantry.

For questions related to Ruby’s Pantry, contact Calvary Baptist Church at 715-362-4792 or go to explorecalvary.com.

For more information about FORK, visit feedourruralkids.org.

Feed Our Rural Kids and Ruby’s Pantry are both registered 501c3 nonprofit organizations.