Supporting the needs of the community

DE PERE – What started as a simple idea to give back has grown into a full-blown regional food drive effort.

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2113 in De Pere has launched its first Veterans Against Hunger food drive, kicking off April 14 and running through May 3.

The initiative includes five separate food collection events at locations across Brown County, each supporting smaller, rural food pantries in the Wrightstown area — pantries that don’t always receive the same level of support as larger cities like Green Bay or Appleton.

The event was inspired by the legacy of Leo Frigo, who was a member of VFW Post 2113 and the founder of Paul’s Pantry, one of the largest food pantries in the region.

“We thought it would be a good idea to take his legacy and bring something to enhance areas of the community where they don’t have the option to get food from Paul’s Pantry or Feeding America,” said Michelle Leick-Leurquin of VFW 2113, who helped organize the project. “Rural Brown County has a lot of smaller food pantries where there is a need for extra food.”

In addition to post 2113, support has poured in from across the Eighth VFW district, which includes 26 posts.

This event marks the first time in history that all 26 posts of the 8th district have collaborated on a community-wide event.

The food drive is aligned with the VFW’s annual day of service, May 3, which is when the main Veterans Against Hunger food drive will take place at the Cotter Funeral Home’s Family Gathering Center in Wrightstown, 8-10 a.m.

Then, 10-10:30 a.m., all collected food will be distributed to food pantries in the rural Brown County area, including Wrightstown, Greenleaf, Brillion, Wayside and Morrison.

Other food drives in the event include two “Fill the Squad Car” food drives at Kwik Trip No. 594 in East De Pere on May 1 and Dick’s Family Foods grocery store in Wrightstown on May 2.

These drives are in partnership with the De Pere and Wrightstown Fire and Police Departments, respectively.

Additionally, Community First Credit Union in West De Pere will be collecting food during office hours from April 14 through May 2, and American Legion Post 436 held a drive at their clubhouse on April 16.

The food drive has also been supported by organizations like 4-H, which raised $300 and used it to purchase food, as well as organizations like local Cub Scouts, who helped collect and load donations into vehicles.

Other than non-perishable food items like soups, canned vegetables, pastas and more, the food drive is also collecting pet food donations for the Wild and Free Animal Rescue organization in Wrightstown, which just opened in January of this year.

“The De Pere VFW 2113 has a long and proud history of supporting the needs of the community,” shared Leick-Leurquin. “Since the first days, local community has been a lasting primary goal of ours. Our organization strives to work with and be one with the local community.”

For more information on VFW Post 2113 and its upcoming events, visit https://vfwpost2113.org.

Food Drives

● April 14- May 2, business hours: Community First Credit Union, 1700 Lawrence Dr. (West De Pere)
● April 14, 6-8 p.m.: American Legion Post 436 Clubhouse, 924 Main St. (Wrightstown)
● May 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: “Fill the Squad Car,” Kwik Trip #594, 1328 O’Keefe Rd. (East De Pere)