Facing a Food Crisis: How You Can Help

Every day, our team works tirelessly to ensure that families in Manitowoc County have enough to eat. But behind the scenes, we face immense challenges — the stress, struggles, and anxiety of ensuring dignified access to good food, along with opportunities for our community to grow, cook, share, and advocate for it.

Now, another crisis has emerged.

The federal government shutdown has halted funding for the FoodShare (SNAP) program — the safety net that feeds over 7,400 Manitowoc County residents, including as many as 4,300 children. Without action, Wisconsin’s FoodShare funds will run out within 10 days, leaving nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites unable to afford basic groceries.

This emergency comes on top of a year already marked by serious setbacks:

• Inflation: Costs are skyrocketing at the grocery store.
• Funding Shortfalls: Our year-end fundraising efforts fell short by $32,125, leaving us with a significant gap as we entered 2025.
• Food Supply Cuts: One of our largest food sources — which provides half of our meat, dairy, and produce — recently announced a 50% reduction in contributions.
• Federal Program Terminations: In March, the USDA cancelled the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, eliminating nearly $30,000 in local farm fresh food we relied on to feed our neighbors. This statewide decision cuts $7.5 million in local food purchases from Wisconsin farmers and another $11.4 million for schools and childcare centers.
• Limited Options: When turning to Feeding America, available items at no charge now include mostly rice — far from what a family needs to survive.

We are deeply concerned about the 7,400 individuals in our county who depend on federal food programs to meet their basic needs.

Despite these challenges, Grow It Forward continues to rise — and we need your help now more than ever.

💛 Join Our "Rise Against Hunger" Emergency Campaign

Your support is the difference between a family going hungry and a family being fed.

Here’s how you can make an immediate impact:

1️⃣ Donate:
$25 provides 100 pounds of fresh food for local families.
$50 delivers 20 family meals through our community pantry.
$100 helps restock shelves with healthy produce and proteins.

2️⃣ Share Our Mission:
Forward this message, tell a friend, or share on social media. Awareness saves lives.

3️⃣ Advocate for Food Security:
Use your voice to support local and national policies that fund and protect food access programs.

🌱 We’ve Weathered Emergencies Before — and We’ll Rise Again

This isn’t the first challenge we’ve faced this year — and it won’t be the last. From inflation to federal cuts to emergency supply losses, Grow It Forward has stood strong because of people like you.

Your generosity has allowed us to serve 2,025 individuals in 2024, a 29% increase from the previous year. That growth reflects both the deepening need in our community and our unwavering commitment to meet it.

We’re doing everything in our power to find solutions, but the reality is heartbreaking:
👉 We cannot meet the growing needs of our community without your urgent help.

Thank you for standing with us in this critical moment. Together, we can ensure no one in Manitowoc County goes hungry, no matter what happens in Washington.

With gratitude and hope,

Amber L. Daugs
Chief Executive Officer
Grow It Forward, Inc.

📍 1501 Marshall Street, Manitowoc, WI
🌐 grow-it-forward.org
💚 One seed, one meal, one neighbor at a time.