Feeding our communities

The need for food is great and continues to grow while all too many continue to go hungry. To help make a difference, TDS recently made $1,000 contributions to several food pantries in southern Wisconsin—but the help doesn’t end there. Employees across the country are also stepping in to help in their own communities.

In Arizona, OneNeck employees held a food drive and collected blankets and coats for St. Vincent de Paul. OneNeck also donated turkeys and hams to Home Base Youth Services, a local youth shelter.

In Fletcher, Okla., TDS made a donation to the local food shelf, Fletcher Ministerial Alliance. In Condon, Ore. the High School Honor Society and fire department hosted a food drive for the Condon Community Food Pantry. Jim Hinton, a TDS employee and the local fire chief, helped with the food drive which generated about 1,200 pounds of food and cash donations. In Des Moines, Iowa, Vital Support Systems employees are teaming together to collect non-perishable food items for the Food Bank of Iowa. They are also hosting a hat, mitten, and sock drive for Central Iowa Shelter & Services.

In Monroe, Wis., employees held a canned food drive and multiple fundraisers for Green Cares Food Pantry. In addition to hosting the annual ‘Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich’ sale, employees donated funds allocated for a team dinner to the Food Pantry, and TDS contributed $1,000. In total, Green Shares received $1,500 and several bags of food to help feed those in need.

Just how great is the need? Mary Gafner, executive director at Green Cares reports the numbers increased again this year. “We are serving more than 300 families a month,” Gafner said. “It’s challenging, but the decrease in USDA funded items is really hindering what we can provide these families in need.”

In Dane County, employees are busy filling bins, located at TDS offices around Dane County, with food items. The food will be donated to Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin next week. In addition to the food collection, TDS made $1,000 contributions to a number of food pantries (the second $1,000 donation TDS delivered this year) including:

• Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM) Food Pantry, Middleton
• St. Steven’s Food Pantry, Monona
• St. John The Baptist Waunakee Food Pantry, Waunakee
• The River Food Pantry, Inc., Madison
• Village of Belleville Food Pantry, Belleville
• Verona Food Pantry, Verona

Though the need was already great, recent cuts to the food stamp program are having staggering impacts on families across the nation. The cuts are forcing many Americans to make do with even less. TDS is proud to help pick up some of the slack. If you can help, too, please join us in feeding the hungry.