Sorting for a good cause
Rotarians joined other volunteers on Dec. 2 to sort and stock food at the New Berlin Food Pantry. Residents of New Berlin's Weatherstone subdivision held their annual food drive that day. The second largest food drive this food pantry sees (behind only the Postal Service collection in spring), this event requires numerous handy helpers.
Here Rotarians Tom Fuszard, Erica Moranski and Pat McLaughlin sort and inspect some of the hundreds of items that arrived. (The safety vests say "Rotarian At Work" on the back.) Volunteers first check the expiration date of each item. Any product more than six months old must be discarded. Items are then shelved by food type and year of expiration ("green beans 2019" for example). This year's collection filled 20 barrels for an estimated 6,000 lbs. of food items.
Not all items are edible. The food pantry also receives personal care products such as toilet paper, shampoo and soaps. Here Erica Moranski admires a fancy hand towel that someone donated.Weatherstone residents have held this annual food drive for more than 30 years. "They do an awesome job," says the food pantry's Barb Jacobs. "We are gratified that they continue to do it and support us." Jacobs estimates that this collection will last several months.
The New Berlin Food Pantry serves needy residents of New Berlin, Elm Grove and Brookfield. Located inside the New Berlin Community Center, 14750 W. Cleveland Ave., the food pantry is open on Wednesdays. Donors may drop off items from 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Recipients can pick up groceries from noon to 5:15 p.m. For more information, call 262-789-8040 on Wednesdays.