FORK’s new ‘Extra’ program to incorporate area pantries
By Vilas News-Review, Posted on December 27, 2023
FORK’s new Extra program provides local food pantry’s newly registered families two $25 grocery vouchers per child which can be redeemed for fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy products. —Contributed Photo
Starting next week, Feed Our Rural Kids (FORK) will introduce a new child-centered nutritional support program, FORK Extra.
The newly created program’s goal is to increase the numbers of children served each month with the help of three area food pantries: the Vilas Food Pantry in Eagle River, the Three Lakes Christian Food Pantry, and the Headwaters Food Pantry in Land O’ Lakes.
“Collaboration is one of the four pillars upon which FORK measures our success,” explained FORK President Perry Pokrandt. “From day one, we have looked to build synergistic relationships with other kids-focused organizations in our efforts to feed children from food insecure homes.”
FORK Extra provides each pantry’s newly registered families two $25 grocery vouchers per child.
Vouchers can be redeemed for fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products. They cannot be redeemed for the purchase of alcohol or tobacco products.
Individuals can utilize these vouchers at Charlie’s Northwoods Market in Land O’ Lakes, Three Lakes Town Market, Trig’s Food and Drug in Eagle River and Camps Fresh Market in St. Germain.
“There is no better source of local food support in the North Woods than our local food pantries,” continued Pokrandt. “It is our hope that this additional resource offering, properly promoted, will be enough motivation to encourage economically challenged families to stop in to see what their local food pantry has to offer.”
“A little bit of help is all most people need in order to make it through a tough economic stretch,” said Vilas Food Pantry President Jackie Coghlan. “All our local food pantries provide just that kind of help.”
The FORK Extra program will first be available to families at their local pantry’s first food distribution of the new year.
Feed Our Rural Kids is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, visit feedourruralkids.org.
