A band of area businesses delivered more than 4,000 pounds of food and other necessities to the New Berlin Food Pantry last week, the result of a collective food drive that ran from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15.
According to Jeanne Holden, director of the food pantry, the donation was the single largest the organization has ever received.
New Berlin-based Grounds Maintenance Services was among the participating businesses. The company delivered a dump truck full of donations to the pantry on Wednesday, and volunteers from many of the businesses involved in the drive helped unload donations and prepare them for sorting.
Along with canned and boxed food, the drive collected diapers, toilet paper, cleaning products and personal hygiene items. Those items will benefit individuals and families in need in Brookfield, New Berlin and Elm Grove, where the food pantry focuses its mission.
“We don’t really think about people going hungry in Brookfield, New Berlin and Elm Grove, which is probably because it’s never really talked about,” said Todd Ruedt, owner of Grounds Maintenance Services. “Everyone who joined in or donated to this effort can be proud that, together, we are helping the neediest in our communities, who are also our neighbors.”
The donations arrived at the start of one of the pantry’s most demanding seasons.
Other businesses that contributed to the food drive were: ActionCOACH of Elm Grove, Brookfield Dance Academy, Charlie’s East Coast Hair Designs, G2 Insurance Services, IMS Barter Trade Exchange, Movin’ & Lubin’, Shop to Carrie On, Soerens Ford, Source 1 Project Solutions, and The Oilerie Brookfield.
