About Us
A pantry built by neighbors, for neighbors.
For nearly three decades, We Share Food Pantry has been a steady presence in Rice Lake. We exist because our community decided, year after year, that no one here should go hungry.
Our history
We Share Food Pantry Inc. began in 1996 when a small group of Rice Lake residents pooled resources to stock a few shelves in a borrowed church basement. The need was immediate and the response was simple: neighbors helping neighbors. Within a year, they were serving more than fifty families a month. Within five years, they had outgrown the basement and incorporated as a Wisconsin 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Today, We Share Food Pantry distributes more than 412,000 pounds of food annually to roughly 3,800 households across Rice Lake and surrounding Barron County communities. We run a year-round walk-in distribution program, the Weekend Backpack Program for school-aged children, senior nutrition outreach, mobile pantries in underserved corners of the county, and a robust holiday meal program every November and December.
Our mission
Our mission is to ensure that every family in our service area has reliable access to nutritious food, delivered with dignity and respect. We do not means-test our guests. We do not ask for documentation of need. We believe that when a neighbor tells us they need help, the right answer is to help.
Our vision
A Barron County where no child goes to bed hungry, no senior chooses between groceries and medicine, and every family can put a nourishing meal on the table — regardless of income, background, or circumstance. We work toward that vision one Tuesday distribution, one Friday backpack, and one community partnership at a time.
Why we exist
Roughly one in ten Barron County residents experiences food insecurity in any given year, and the rate is higher among children and seniors. Many of our neighbors are working full-time jobs, sometimes more than one. They own their homes and care for their families with pride. They are not statistics; they are the cashier at the gas station, the second-shift nurse, the retired teacher on a fixed income, the young parent finishing a degree.
The math of rural life is unforgiving. Wages have not kept up with rent, utilities, child care, or groceries. A surprise medical bill or a broken transmission can turn a stable household into a struggling one overnight. Pantries like ours fill a critical gap so that a short-term setback does not become a long-term crisis.
How donations are used
We are committed to financial transparency. Every dollar we receive is stewarded carefully. Roughly 92 cents of every donated dollar goes directly to food acquisition, distribution, and programs. The remaining 8 cents supports the modest infrastructure that keeps the pantry running: building, insurance, utilities, and the lean administrative work behind a healthy nonprofit.
Through our partnerships with Feeding America regional partners and direct relationships with local grocers, every dollar you give purchases roughly four meals worth of food. A $50 gift becomes 200 meals. A $250 gift feeds a family of four for a month.
Community partnerships
We could not do this work alone. Our pantry is part of a wider network of organizations that strengthen our community every day.
Join our mission.
Whether you give an hour, a dollar, or a can, you become part of the story we are writing for Rice Lake.