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WAFER, Inc. Annual Report January 1-December 31, 2017

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WAFER, Inc.

Annual Report

January 1-December 31, 2017

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Dear Friends, This year I celebrated my 5 year anniversary with WAFER. Together we have made some wonderful strides in growth, improvements to service, and continued impact. I think of you and your continued support when I recall where we were and where we are today. Programs have been expanded, new programs have begun, innovation is at the forefront, and the desire to make a tangible difference for people is apparent. It is remarkable!

Challenges bring about opportunities if I look hard enough for them. One early morning I experienced an “aha moment” and an opportunity to understand just a little more about the inside workings of hunger. If you follow WAFER’s Facebook page you may remember this post from late November:

“What follows is not a "feel bad for me" or "pity party" post. I want to share details that I feel are significant that led to an aha moment and learning opportunity for someone who has served in non-profits for nearly 20 years. This week has been rough, operationally, for our staff. Yesterday was probably the worst. I worked nearly 12 hours, more than half was moving product 10-40 pounds consistently. We had a great crew, but days like that are taxing on our staff (like Leonard who was here 10 hours and worked alongside me for half). Fast forward to 2:30 this morning. I woke up, a lot on my mind. I was hungry, so hungry. My mind and my stomach kept me awake. I realized I had not eaten much yesterday and worked hard. I got up and had my breakfast at 4 am. So, here's the aha moment part..... As I stood in the kitchen eating toast my thoughts drifted to why I was up. I was hungry, but I had food I could eat. I thought to myself (aha moment), this may be what it is like when people don't have enough to eat. Not only are they hungry, but sleep is disrupted which means that the next day there is probably less productivity than there could be. The cycle will just perpetuate itself.......not eating, low energy, interrupted sleep, on and on. If this was the cycle in my life, how successful, productive, or motivated would I be to try to make a different way for myself? My guess is that it would be difficult to be able to push past the physical disruptions and find my way to something better. I think about children who may be in this cycle; how effective are they at school? I can relate to moms and the energy it takes to keep up with the children or the patience needed to make it through the day. There are a lot of scenarios, populations, associations, and more I spent time thinking about. My thoughts end with hope. You see, despite what might seem like a hopeless situation it doesn't have to be. The great thing is that WAFER Food Pantry is here to help, to break that cycle, to offer hope for something better. There is so much food in our country that we don't know what to do with it. I think by now we should know what to do with it. After all, when we raise the boat of one all boats raise. One in six are food insecure, five in six can help. Thanks for being one of our five! My friends, you choose to be a part of the solution and I can't tell you how much gratitude I feel!”

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Client Stories

Last year I shared some of the everyday stories I hear from clients, the moments that break my heart, and those that restore my faith in humanity. WAFER is more than just statistics, figures, programs, or capacity. WAFER is the people served. I hope you enjoy the snippets from my vantage point and from people who live very complicated lives.

Putting the pedal to the cold medal

Riding a bicycle around La Crosse is commonplace. As the

weather warms, more bicycles are on the road. However,

bicycles trudging through the snow are less common. Less than

desirable weather or road conditions doesn’t stop people from

getting on that bicycle to get to WAFER in order to put food on

the table. Bags are carefully balanced on handle bars, packed

in trailers or racks, carried on backs, or many other creative

ways to get home. Moments like these break my heart. I can’t

imagine the struggle to carry a cart of groceries on my bike, in

sub-zero windchills, and on slick roads. This is a struggle so

many of the people served by WAFER face all too often.

The weight of the world on his shoulders

He came for food for his family. An entire cart full of canned goods, fresh produce, milk, bread, eggs, meat, and more. He walked to WAFER. Now to figure out how to get these precious commodities home.

He stood in the lobby inspecting his cart and then began carefully bagging, tying the bags together. I watched through this process, unsure of where this would head. Then suddenly, one by one, the bags were slung over his shoulder. A bag in the front and another in the back, carefully added one to each side, distributing the weight as equally as possible.

Several minutes passed. Before I knew it that entire cart was ready to be carried out the door. The weight of his family’s needs resting on his shoulders. He was prepared to do whatever was necessary to put a meal on the table that night.

Sing a little song for the baby For the most part there is little interaction between clients unless they know each other. Occasionally they will share parts of their life, experiences, or a resource they found particularly helpful. There are rare moments, sweet moments that pass between strangers. One such privilege to witness was a man in the lobby start singing to a beautiful little girl with her momma. I am pretty sure the pantry stood still for a couple minutes to watch this precious interaction, everyone seemed to be filled will awe and wonderful. In case you were wondering, he sang "I'll be there" by The Jackson 5.

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Pounds for Pounds It is hard to measure the value of words until they have been spoken and then return to you. Perhaps there are times when you engage in a conversation that seems inconsequential only to find out later just how impactful it was to the other person.

One mother and her two children come in to get their food package monthly. The daughter is thin and struggles with a physical condition impacting her ability to get around. The son looks just like his mom, his eyes are so big and round. The mom is middle aged and shared with me that she had been diagnosed several diseases, disorders, or deficiencies. Her doctor had recommended losing weight by eating better. Her response was something like, ‘How in the world does one eat the way they should while living in poverty and take care of two kids alone?’ Produce, lots of WAFER’s produce. I encouraged her to take as much as she wanted and to try new things.

Each month, she reminds me of the conversation we had earlier in the year and the impact it had on her. I had shared my own personal dietary struggles and how my eating has changed over the years. I am definitely not a dietician, but I learned just enough in college and through my own struggles to offer my thoughts on the benefits of eating whole foods while eliminating specific foods to improve health (such as sugars, empty calories, highly processed foods, junk food, etc).

In the last year, she has called me from my office several times to remind me of our initial conversation and how it has helped to change her situation. Our most recent conversation in December she shared that she had lost 60 pounds and started walking. One might think around the block, working up to a mile, and so on. Nope! She walks 10+ miles. She will walk to the store 5 miles away, do her grocery shopping, and walk the 5 miles home with her purchase.

She made the decision to make important changes in her life, for her and her children. She has stuck with her commitment and is working so hard to live a more quality life, choosing more nutrient dense and quality foods for her and her children, and choosing to take control of her future. I am so proud of her for not giving up, for continuing even when it gets hard, for reaching goals and setting new ones, and for being proud of how far she has come. I am also greatly appreciative when she reminds me of the value of words.

Volunteers

You work the frontlines, often dealing with people who are emotionally battered, exhausted from just trying to survive, dealing with mental illness, homeless, humiliated by asking for help, grouchy about their circumstances, just plain difficult, or have little contact with others. You are the compassion they need! You give of your time, financial gifts, food, and a little piece of yourself with each person you help. Thank you is not nearly enough. What an honor it is for me to serve with you.

In 2017 volunteers gave 11,000+ hours of service, the most since 2012. The value of a volunteer hour (according to Independent Sector) is $22.48 in Wisconsin, therefore WAFER’s volunteers nearly $250,000 of hours worked. Even if each person was paid minimum wage, volunteers saved WAFER about $80,000 in staffing expenses.

“Giving” the gift of time looks different for every volunteer. Many people devote one or two days a week. Small groups may donate one day a month and make it a regular event. Other volunteers contribute their talents whenever and wherever they can

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Volunteers function in a variety of roles;

Working one-on-one with the clients as they walk thru the food pantry to collect food.

Unloading trucks

Sorting food

Assembling food packages for delivery programs

Picking up donations

Food deliveries

Cleaning

Stocking shelves or coolers

Staffing special events

Here are just a few of our “Rockstar” volunteers.

Kathy (r) and Sue (l) are regular Monday morning

volunteers. Kathy has been a volunteer with

WAFER for more than 10 years and Sue joined the

scene about 5 years ago. In addition to regular

Monday mornings, Sue can often be found offering

a cheery smile while volunteering for the once a

month Food Fair or at special events.

Jean has been a regular Monday volunteer for 16 years. Her gentle

approach to service and approachability provides a wonderful

experience for the clients.

Dave, Sig, and Mike (l to r) are the

muscles in the warehouse most

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

These three manage to make the work

fun while providing such a help to the

Warehouse Manager, Eric. Willing to do

just about anything, this team can knock

out more work in 3 hours than our staff

can accomplish in two days.

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Gensler, a local architect company, supports

WAFER is various ways; food drives and

volunteering. This group of employees and their

families volunteer for the annual Letter Carriers

Food Drive. They enjoy participating in this event

so much that they are the first ones to contact our

staff (early in the year) to get scheduled. This group

makes repetitive and, at times, heavy work fun.

They are all smiles and willing hands.

Larry works for our business neighbor, Mcloone Metal Graphics. Our

neighbors are excellent organization support. They provide logistical

assistance, emergency equipment usage, building security, warehouse

space, and volunteers. During the winter or rainy months, Larry in one of

many Mcloone employees that open up their warehouse on Food Fair days.

This space provides a warmer and dry area for the food as well as the

volunteers. It takes the effort and gifts of many for WAFER’s

programming to run as smoothly as it does and we are grateful for the

wonderful partnership with Mcloone.

Being a part of a college town provides the

opportunity to many energetic and willing

people to provide service, particularly for the

Food Fairs. This groups of UW-L students are

a part of “Student Service Saturdays”. They

are willing to help in whatever way,

performing any task. In addition to students

from UW-L we are fortunate to get great help

from WTC and Viterbo as well.

There are many departments at Logistics Health

Inc. that provide volunteers, particularly for the

Food Fairs. The employees frequently bring

family and friends, exposing them to the issue of

hunger in our community. Many return month

after month and are often times the difference in

having enough volunteers for the Food Fair to

run smoothly or being extremely short handed.

Not only do many departments provide physical

assistance, but they often conduct food drives for

the items we are in desperate need of.

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Andrew joined the evening volunteers in September as part of a

class requirement. He had many questions about what WAFER

does, services, food insecurity, and poverty. The more he became

involved and immersed in serving the greater his desire to continue

volunteering far beyond his required hours. He can regularly be

found volunteering on Thursday nights. He is so familiar with the

pantry workings that he too is able to identify what needs to be done

and get that accomplished.

Karen has been a long time Food Fair volunteer. She just shows up most

Food Fair mornings, jumps right in, and helps where she can. She helps

direct new volunteers, explains jobs, and can troubleshoot just about

anything. She does all this without batting an eye and providing such

compassionate service to the people who attend.

Tracy volunteers during the evening shift. She pitches right in

from the minute she gets here until the shift ends. She is great

at identifying what needs to be done and taking initiative to get

it done.

Volunteer turned donor. This describes Penny. She joined WAFER

for many months, many days during the week, until some family

obligation needed tending to. She provided such great help whether

it was serving the people or helping in the warehouse. This past

summer, Penny encouraged her family and friends to donate food for

WAFER for her birthday. She is pictured here with one of

WAFER’s staff, Leonard, with her collection. Penny still volunteers

with WAFER, mostly one day a week, and it one of those people

who exude compassion and acceptance of all.

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This past year brought forth many triumphs and trials. The launch of the Mobile Food Pantry was definitely a little of each. Planning, finding a vehicle, designing, outfitting, and troubleshooting this innovative project was a trial. There is no guidebook to walk an organization through a project such as this, there are few organizations who operate a program like this or even in a similar climate. Our team, comprised of staff and board members, pushed this through to completion, serving the first clients on September 26th in the communities of Bangor and Rockland. The response from those who used this program was exactly what we hoped for – the need was there and it was capable of meeting that need. Triumph! The project continues to experience both trials and triumphs, but next year I am hopeful that triumphs will be all we talk about!

Picture above are the Mobile Food Pantry vehicle, the internal layout, and at the St Clare Health Mission stop. It is an amazing and impactful piece of equipment. I encourage you to take a tour of it while it is parked at our building or out serving in the community, it is truly something spectacular.

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Another incident that I can classify under a triumph and trial was the flooding we experienced in July. Horrible, unexpected torrential rains swept through the area one summer night. Flooded basements, swollen creeks, and washed out roads were the headlines of the morning. Our staff arrived in the morning to find that the entire lower level of the building had been flooded. As the street drains caught up the internal water started to drain, leaving behind it a mess of mud and debris. Trial. We sent out a plea for help and help began to arrive. We were only closed for the morning shift, but managed to be open during the evening hours in time for our annual state inspection. What a day! Thanks to hard working staff and volunteers the building was put back into operational status very quickly despite the physical damage that remained. Triumph!

A few days later the restoration crew finally arrived to assist in drying out the walls. The majority of the walls were salvaged except a section near the front door where a crack in the foundation was discovered.

Through all the trials and triumphs there is one group that sticks together regardless of which we face. That is our staff. Not only are they dedicated to the mission and serving our clients, but they are endlessly available to do whatever it takes to make WAFER the best it can be. What was particularly

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significant in 2017 was turnover. The positions of Driver, Evening Client Coordinator, and Evening Manager were vacated and filled. Despite that transition we continue to have a strong, compassionate team! The Board of Directors were also a huge part of the trials and triumphs experienced this past year. They are amazing, dedicated, passionate about the mission, generous with their time and resources, responsive, supportive, thoughtful, wise, and determined. They range in length of service from 3 to 20 years, each bringing all they have to the table to ensure WAFER continues to live out the mission, responds to changing needs, and contributes to making local communities better for all. As I finalize the Annual Report for 2017, the process provided me yet another opportunity to reflect on all the goodness that occurs to meet needs and make our community better for all. I often find myself thinking about a volunteer, a group of volunteers, a particular gift and the giver, people that offer their varied skills in service, and the loving hearts of the multitude of people it takes to make WAFER as impactful as it is. Every gift is appreciated and used to the fullest. I thank you for your gifts, your heart of compassion, your desire to serve others, and your dedication to growing WAFER for the good of all. The continued generosity from many (you, individuals, families, churches, businesses, local and national retailers, Channel One Food Bank, United Way) makes it possible for thousands of families to have a meal on the table at mealtime. One thing is for certain, WAFER has and will continue to provide compassionate service to those who are hungry to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry. Thank you! In His Service,

Erin Waldhart Executive Director

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Highlights from 2017

Burn Bootcamp members and their families

joined us again for the March Food Fair. This

group brought energy and excitement to the

event. They are always to willing to help in

any way, which is evident by the young ladies

who graciously offered to stomp down the

cardboard pile.

In February, the owners of

Generous Earth Pottery

coordinated an “Empty Bowls”

fundraiser. 1000 handmade,

one-of-a-kind bowls were

available to purchase. Many

restaurants were on hand to fill

those bowls with varieties of

soup and chili. Attendees

provided positive feedback

about the bowls and the food.

For Valentine’s Day, WAFER volunteer

Dale arranged for a quartet to sing to the

ladies in the office. Dale had planned on

being a part of the group, but at the last

minute ended up with a winter sickness.

Also in February, a group of students

from UW-L Student Support Services

provided many hands for the Food Fair.

They provided service by handing out

food, assisting people with limited

mobility, retrieved carts, and cleaned up

the mess created by this event.

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In April, Rick Howard of Rick

Howard Painting filled the cracks

in the building and power washed

it in preparation for the Viterbo

Girls Softball team to paint the

exterior. What a face lift and

freshness this gave the building.

A group of students at UW-L organized

a rock concert fundraiser in April for a

class project. “Can You Rock?”

featured some fantastic musicians who

donated their time to the cause. Money

raised through raffles (of gift cards, a

guitar, and more) and donations all

benefitted WAFER clients. There was

post event talk about making this an

annual fundraiser.

In May, The Women’s Fund of Greater La

Crosse, conducted a hygiene supply drive.

Director, Heidi Svee, delivered are carload full

of feminine hygiene items, shampoo,

conditions, body wash, deodorant, bar soap,

razors, and more.

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The second Saturday every May is the annual

Letter Carriers Food Drive. This year we

received 17,000+ pounds of food. Thanks to

great volunteers provided by the United Way,

current WAFER volunteers, and a regular

group from Gensler (pictured), we were able to

crate up the food and get it back to the

building in less than 8 hours.

The 8th grade leadership team from Cashton spent a morning

with us sorting the food collected at the Letter Carriers Food

Drive, stocked shelves/coolers, repackaged bulk foods,

assisting clients, and whatever else was needed. This group

was fantastic and so willing to serve!

Also in May, The League of the Ridiculous, part of

the Beer By Bike Brigade, put together and

delivered feminine hygiene kits. These contained

pads, tampons, sanitary items, pain reliever,

chocolate, and a note of encouragement. These kits

ease the burden and sometimes negative stigma

associated with a woman’s cycle all while providing

items to make the process more comfortable.

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For the last 10 years, The La Crosse Concert Band has

collected donations for WAFER at one of their summer

concerts. Leadership and members of the band

advertise for and encourage their regular attendees to

bring items that are the most needed.

In July, the Health Information Management

Department at Gundersen Health System put

together “birthday bags”. These were given to

children who had upcoming birthdays so they

could have a cake with frosting, candles, and a

birthday toy to make their celebration special.

In September, People’s Food Co-op put together a “buy

a bag, make a difference for WAFER” food drive.

Patrons of the Co-op could buy a $10 or $20 bag of hot

cereal, rice, soup, beans, and applesauce to be given to

WAFER. This drive came at such a critical time as

supplies ran low after the high need of summer.

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Bangor FFA exceeded their own goals during

the 2017 growing season. They planted, cared

for, harvested, and delivered 25,000+ pounds of

fresh produce. Our clients literally experienced

farm to table as they took home cucumbers,

squash, corn, tomatoes, peppers, green beans,

potatoes, and more. What a huge blessing this

program has for WAFER’s clients by providing

them with produce at peak quality and nutrition.

On Halloween, the UW-L Girls Track

Team traveled around town collecting

food donations for WAFER for their

annual “Trick or Can” event. This year

they collected 1347 pounds of food in just

one evening, an increase of ~200 pounds

over last year.

Aquinas Middle School

student leaders

encourage their

classmates to get behind

their annual “Stuff the

Bus” food and hygiene

supplies drive. This was

the 15th annual campaign

and the students

delivered over 2 tons.

This is such a neat event

to be a part of,

particularly when the

delivery occurs. The

students are filled with

enthusiasm and energy,

their desire to make a

difference is almost

palpable.

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A member of the Beer By Bike Brigade contacted

our staff inquiring about any needs besides food.

A frequent un-met need is baby supplies, mainly

diapers. This was definitely an effort the group

could get behind (no pun intended). With donated

funds and supplies, delivered 3 pallets worth of

baby products – diapers, wipes, pull-ups, and more

– were delivered.

Western Technical College Human Service

students created resources boards for the

lobby. These boards display a variety of

local organizations and services that may

benefit the people WAFER serve that may

make life just a little better.

In December, Hillside Animal Hospital owner,

Dr. Robert Spencer, and his staff conducted their

9th annual Pet Food and Supplies Drive. This

year they provided 4800 pounds of pet goods,

the largest amount since this started. Pictured

here is Dr. Spencer, courtesy of the La Crosse

Tribune.

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Mission Statement

Responding to God’s love, WAFER provides food and works to eliminate hunger.

2017 Board of Directors

Taylor Haley President Mike Voss Vice-president Judy Siefert Secretary Lee Bluske Treasurer

Brad Clarkin Sally Friend Dennis Herricks

Jerry Saterbak Dorothy Stroschein

Dedicated to fighting hunger in La Crosse County since 1986 VISION Statement

WAFER is committed to addressing hunger related needs in La Crosse County, while treating each person with personalized service and dignity. We will procure food, develop resources, and collaborate with other programs, organizations, and businesses to alleviate hunger and food insecurity in our area. We will strive for effective stewardship of resources in order to provide successful food assistance programs. Over the course of the next five years, WAFER will be working to reach those in our population most at risk, children and seniors. Our strategic directives include:

Expanding and developing food procurement and food distribution Educating clients on nutrition and food preparation

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Who does wafer help?

WAFER provides food to individuals/families throughout La Crosse County (the city of La Crosse, Mindoro, Holmen, West Salem, Onalaska, Bangor, Rockland) and La Crescent, MN due to their distance from their TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program – government commodities) outlet. In 2017, 38,862 people were fed through WAFER programming and 1 in 3 were under the age of 18. Each food package contains 3 meals a day for 4-5 days for each person in the family. Throughout 2017 more than 1,350,000 million meals were provided through in-house food distribution and various outreach programs. 636 new families used WAFER services in 2017. The face of hunger for the people served at WAFER is similar to the face you see passing by you on the sidewalk. Hunger does not discriminate, it affects all people regardless of age, gender, race, family upbringing, social status, or any other factor. WAFER families/individuals come from every walk of life: single parent household, two parents working yet still unable to get by, chronically disabled, newly diagnosed, jobless, homeless, veterans, seniors, and others.

WAFER operates a variety of programs and services:

Food Package Distribution The main program is food package distribution. Clients receive 4-5 day’s worth of food a minimum of one time per month; quantities vary with food package size. The food package consists of non-perishables (canned fruit and vegetables, pasta, beans, tuna, cereal, peanut butter, crackers, soup, tomato products, mac-n-cheese, and side dishes as available), bakery items, dairy products (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs), frozen meat, a plethora of produce (such as lettuce, greens, onions, potatoes, oranges, apples, bananas, peppers, melon, squash, berries, cabbage, green beans, carrots), and hygiene items. Mobile Food Pantry New in September 2017, The Mobile Food Pantry program is a specially designed vehicle that travels to various communities and neighborhoods throughout La Crosse County to provide food package distribution closer to home. The Mobile Food Pantry has a similar set up to the in-house food pantry and offers the same foods - canned goods, bakery items, frozen meat, dairy products, fresh produce, and hygiene items. Clients are able to board the vehicle to choose their foods. Clients may either receive a food package at the food pantry or at the mobile food pantry, not both. Regular scheduled stops makes the service predictable, reliable, and accommodating.

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Senior Share The Senior Share program provides WAFER’s normal food package to low income senior citizens. Food is pre-packed according to preferences, as much as possible, and delivered to sixteen La Crosse County senior meal sites, apartment complexes, or community sites.

Feeding Today’s Youth WAFER oversees two initiatives for the Feeding Today’s Youth programming. One, a grant allowing the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater La Crosse to provide a hearty afterschool snack to children who might otherwise not receive an adequate evening meal. Two, in coordination with the Bangor School District, we are able to provide easy to prepare or already prepared foods for children to take home on the weekend. Understanding that even though Bangor isn’t considered a “food dessert” (meaning urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food within an one mile radius and 10 mile radius respectively) there are few community resources for people to utilize. This program is designed to assure children have access to food outside of the school setting. Students who participate in this program return to school on Monday ready to learn and have every opportunity for proper development. Each week approximately 40 children take home food a minimum of one time.

Food Fair In partnership with Channel One Foodbank, a Feeding America Foodbank, we are able to offer an additional food giveaway one time per month. The Food Fair is typically held the 4th Saturday of each month except around holidays or community events. Each account holder is issued a ticket for the Food Fair in order to receive the food package. Pallets of food come from Channel One and are lined up in the street during good weather months or the Mcloone warehouse behind the WAFER building during cold/rainy months. Participants bring their own bags/boxes/wagons to collect their food package which typically weights ~50 pounds. The contents of the food package varies from month to month based on availability at Channel One but typically contains cereal, produce, bakery, meat, canned goods, and crackers. In 2017, Channel One provided an extra 222,005 pounds of food to 4914 households (not included in the total number of food packages given in 2017) through this event.

Mobile Drop The Mobile Drop Program is the delivery of the traditional food package to the rural communities of Mindoro and Bangor. To decrease or eliminate transportation barriers for families and individuals living in rural areas, WAFER volunteers assemble food packages based as much as possible on personal preferences. These food packages and a food fair box are delivered one-time per month to pre-established locations in the respective communities.

Hmong Food Package The Hmong Food Package contains 5 basic staples found in the Hmong diet and is one of WAFER’s longest operating programs. This food package has been offered for more than 10 years since many of the Hmong families do not use or eat a portion of the foods available in the “traditional” food package. Many traditional American staples are not a part of the Hmong diet. Therefore, Hmong families can receive bamboo shoots, fish sauce, two varieties of rice noodles, and rice in their food package if they so choose.

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Food Rescue Food Rescue is a major component of WAFER’s overall functioning and the means by which we are able to offer a large assortment of fresh food items as well as some dry products. Each day of the business week at least one driver is making stops throughout the community rescuing food that is “unsalable” in the store because of a dented box, close sell-by date, package mislabeling, and more. Produce in particular is typically quite bountiful, giving client families a wonderful choice of healthy, nutrient-dense foods. Due to the generosity of WAFER’s regular donors, people have an abundance of wholesome fresh foods to choose in addition to produce; dairy, baked goods, eggs, meat, and more. In 2017, rescued food accounted for ~820,000 pounds. Where 1 pound = $1, $800,000+ in product was rescued for the expense in vehicle and staff costs of roughly $30,000.

Financial information

WAFER receives financial support from personal and business donations, foundations, grants, and the United Way.

Operating Expense Accounts, minimum of 6 months reserves to insure uninterrupted

service...$249,436.93

Capital Improvements and Maintenance Accounts, for future expansion, building and equipment

needs...$269,669.94

Capital Improvements and Maintenance Accounts, for ongoing programs including Nutrition-Education

Training and the Mobile Food Pantry...$323,142.69

Other Assets Including Property and Equipment...$322,045.99

Total Assets...$1,164,296.18

Operating Expense Accounts include checking and money market accounts.

Capital Improvement and Maintenance Accounts include bond funds and money market accounts.

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We wish to acknowledge our community donors that supported WAFER

from January – December 2017 by collecting food.

Weekly Food Donors

Aldi

Big Lots

Great Harvest Bread Company

Kwik Trip

Linda’s Bakery

Panera

Reinhart Companies

Sam’s Club

Starbucks

Target

Walmart La Crosse

Walmart Onalaska

Westby Creamery

Civic Groups/Associations

Bangor Boy Scouts

Bangor FFA

Beer By Bike Brigade

Cub Pack #247

Cub Scout Pack 17

Exercise to End Hunger

Fox Hollow Tues. Ladies Golf League

Friends of Mississippi

Gateway Area Boy Scouts

Girl Scouts of Riverland Council

Kaplan Difference Makers

Kaplan Professionals

Kwik Trip Stoddard

La Crescent Animal Rescue

La Crosse Area Realtors Association

La Crosse Chamber Chorale

La Crosse Concert Band, Inc

La Crosse Country Club Ladies Golf Association

La Crosse Duplicate Bridge Club

League of the Ridiculous/Beer by Bike Brigade

National Association of Letter Carriers

North American Squirrel Association

Operating Engineers Local 139

PEO Sisterhood Chapter CR

Rotary Club of La Crosse - After Hours

Rotary Lights

Sparta Kiwanis Club

Sundalword Carolers

Women's Fund of Greater La Crosse

YMCA

Governmental Partner

Bangor Post Office

Mindoro Post Office

USO

Wisconsin Department of Transportation - La Crosse

Schools and Education Partners

Aquinas Middle School

UWL Track Team

UW-La Crosse Volunteering Within

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Business and Corporate Partners

Ace Hardware

Advanced Spinal Care

Agricultural Transport

Agropur Ingredients

American Airlines

American Marine

Associated Bank

Bethany Riverside

Bittersweet Floral

Briedenbach Chiropractic

CenturyLink

Chartwell

Coulee State Bank

Craig's Meats

Credit Bureau Data

Dahl Automotive

Degen Berglund

Downtown Mainstreet, Inc.

DuraTech Industries

Dynamic Recycling

GECU The Friendly Credit Union

Gerrard-Hoeschler

Goodwill Industries

Gordy's Market

Great Lakes Coca Cola

Gundersen Health System

Gundersen Onalaska

Hampton Inn & Suites

Hansen's IGA

Hidden Trails Corn Maze

Hillside Animal Hospital

Hillview Greenhouse Life Center

Hillview Health Care

Holiday Inn Express

La Crosse Public Library

LACROSSEFIT INC.

Little Caesar's Pizza

Logistics Health Inc.

Marine Credit Union

Mcloone Metal Graphics Inc.

Metropolitan Salon & Day Spa

Mutual of Omaha

Neighbor for Neighbor Food Pantry

New Horizons

Old Dutch

Onalaska Emergency Food Basket

P&K Family Trucking

People's Food Cooperative, Inc.

Potato King

Quillin's IGA Island

Ranze Trucking

Recycling Fair

Rivoli Theater

SAV Express

The Tomato Patch

Toyota of La Crosse

Trane Company

Tri-State Business

WCCU Credit Union

Wellness Center

Wells Fargo Bank

Werner Enterprises

Woodman's Food Market

Churches

Congregation Sons of Abraham

English Lutheran Church

Faith United Methodist Church

First Baptist Church

First Congregational Church

First Presbyterian Church

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Holy Trinity Catholic Church

North Presbyterian Church

Olivet Lutheran Church

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

Rockland United Methodist Church

Roncalli Newman Parish

St Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church

St. James Catholic Church

St. John's United Church of Christ

St. Joseph Cathedral

St. Paul Lutheran WELCA

St. Paul's Lutheran Church

Trinity United Church of Christ

Wesley United Methodist Church

*Due to human error a donor may have been unintentionally missed.

23

Food package distribution

1986-2017

Distribution by age 2017

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

250001

98

6

19

94

20

00

20

08

20

09

20

10

20

11

20

12

20

13

20

14

20

15

20

16

20

17

Adults

Adults

Senior Citizens (60+)

Children

24

Total Pounds Distributed

2001-2017

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

286223

272323

222055

195669

170667

123223

92909

89295

57761

51700

51615

6243

2017 Food Sources and Poundage Received

Walmart

Sam's Club

Channel One Food Bank - Food Fair

TEFAP

Community Donations - produce, other

Food donations/drives (not corporate)

Purchased

Westby Creamery

Target

Bakery

Kwik Trip

Reinhart

25

Number of visits by county 2016

Wisconsin

La Crosse 17144

Vernon 14

Trempealeau/Jackson 37

Monroe 19

Richland/Crawford/Buffalo 4

Minnesota

Houston 178

Number of visits by county 2017

Wisconsin

La Crosse 16998

Vernon 56

Trempealeau/Jackson 23

Monroe 11

Crawford/Buffalo 10

Minnesota

Houston 188

Visits by Community in La Crosse County

City of La Crosse Onalaska Holmen West Salem Bangor Mindoro Rockland

26

If you should have questions regarding the contents of WAFER’s annual report, please contact a

board member or the Executive Director.

Address: 403 Causeway Blvd, La Crosse, WI 54603

Phone: 608-782-6003

Email: [email protected]

Website: waferlacrosse.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO

FILL THE SHELVES AND

HELPING YOUR NEIGHBORS

RIGHT HERE AT HOME!