Madison, Wis., September 23, 2026 — Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin is investing $600,000 to help 12 partner food pantries and programs across southwestern Wisconsin expand their ability to rescue and distribute nutritious food from local retailers.
Through Second Harvest’s Retail Capacity Grant, each of the 12 organizations will receive funding to strengthen the infrastructure, equipment, staffing or operational capacity needed to accept more food donations from local grocery stores, convenience stores and other retailers.
The grants are part of Second Harvest’s Wisconsin Food Rescue initiative, which works to ensure that fresh, healthy food that is still safe to eat reaches people facing hunger rather than going to waste.
“Second Harvest is committed to ensuring every person in our community has dependable access to healthy food,” said Michelle Orge, President and Executive Director of Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. “By making these grant funds available, we are investing directly in the local organizations that know their communities best and are addressing hunger every day. This funding will help our partners respond to rising demand while building capacity for the future.”
Building capacity to rescue more food
Food donations from local retailers are an important source of nutritious food for Second Harvest and its network of nearly 300 partner pantries and programs. But the ability to rescue that food depends on having the capacity to accept, safely store and distribute it.
For many food pantries, the challenge is not whether retailers have food available to donate. It is whether the pantry has the refrigeration, storage space, transportation, equipment and staff needed to take advantage of those donations.
The Retail Capacity Grant was created to address those barriers.
Earlier this year, Second Harvest invited its network of partner organizations throughout its 16-county service area to submit proposals identifying investments that would allow them to accept and distribute more food from local retailers. Second Harvest reviewed the submissions based on their potential to increase retail food recovery and distribution, strengthen local capacity and improve access to nutritious food.
The 12 organizations selected for funding will use the grants for projects that include:
- Expanding onsite cold storage to accommodate more fresh and frozen food
- Purchasing refrigerated vehicles and other transportation
- Adding part-time staffing to support expanded retail food recovery operations
Together, the projects are expected to increase the amount of nutritious food that can be rescued from local retailers and make it possible for more of that food to reach families and individuals throughout southwestern Wisconsin.
“Every pound of good food we are able to rescue is an opportunity to put nutritious food on someone’s table,” Orge said. “When we strengthen the capacity of our partners, we strengthen the entire network. We are building the ability to meet today’s needs while preparing for the future.”
One of the grant recipients, OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center in Madison, will use its funding to make major upgrades to cold storage at its Community Pantry as the organization prepares to move closer to downtown Madison.
“This investment will support major upgrades to our Community Pantry’s cold storage, just in time for OutReach’s upcoming move closer to downtown Madison,” said Becca Bedell of OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center. “We expect a surge in guests, and we’re thrilled to increase distribution of free, low-barrier food and hygiene essentials four days a week.”
“Food security is something we have to build together,” Orge said. “One part of our role in the system is to help give our network the resources and capacity they need to do even more.”
Second Harvest distributes millions of pounds of food each year through its network of nearly 300 partner pantries and programs across 16 counties in southwestern Wisconsin. By expanding the network’s ability to rescue nutritious food from local retailers, the Retail Capacity Grant will help ensure more good food stays in the community and reaches the people who need it most.
Awardees of a Retail Capacity Grant include:
- Caritas
- Deerfield Community Center
- Stoughton Food Pantry
- Sauk Prairie Area Food Pantry
- Salvation Army, Janesville
- Salvation Army, Beloit
- Couleecap, Inc
- Ronald McDonald House
- Sunshine Pantry
- WayForward Resources
- Jefferson Area Food Pantry
- OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center
About Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
Since 1986, Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin has been working with hundreds of local agencies and partners across 16 counties. We are southwestern Wisconsin’s largest hunger-relief organization, distributing tens of millions of pounds of food each year. Through food acquisition and distribution, advocacy, community partnerships, and the support of thousands of volunteers, we are making our vision of ensuring everyone in our community has access to enough nutritious food to thrive a reality. For more information, visit SecondHarvestSW.org.
