Visitors wait to register at the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry. Under current policy, visitors are required to declare that they meet The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) guidelines, though no income verification is required. The food bank currently serves 2300 households per month and is one of the 265 pantries in Wisconsin that accepts food from the federally funded program.

The Oshkosh Area Community Pantry serves 2300 households monthly. Last year, 800 visitors from neighboring Fond du Lac used the food bank on an emergency basis. While removing the identification requirement would provide greater access to food pantries, there is concern that increased traffic from out-of-county visitors could cause shortages.

Visitors to the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry gather frozen items. The federally funded Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) provides food banks with essentials like milk, eggs, meat, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

A visitor to the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry gathers staple items. The federally funded Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) provides food banks with essentials like milk, eggs, meat, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Kenneth Tackett, of Oshkosh, feels “blessed to be able to do something like this.” Tackett relies almost exclusively on the local panty for his bread, meat, and vegetables. Tackett can understand the concern of potential shortages caused by out-of-county visitors, but understands the benefit increased accessibility can provide.

An expectant mother gathers potatoes at the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry. Removing barriers to food access may create a risk of shortages.

While changes to TEFAP guidelines may encourage out-of-county visitors, operations like the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry already operate on an honesty policy by asking visitors to observe item limits.

Ryan Rasmussen, Executive Director of the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry, is excited to see barriers removed from food access. He points out that visitors to the food bank already operate on an honestly policy by observing item limits.