Pet food pantry: A Cause for PAWS, Kewaunee Co. Food Pantry and Festival Foods collaborate

KEWAUNEE COUNTY – As of Sunday, Feb. 1 through Sunday, Feb. 15 Festival Foods of Green Bay on University Ave. will be accepting donations of cat and dog food and treats, which will be collected by A Cause for PAWS volunteers and brought to the Kewaunee County Food Pantry to be distributed.

Volunteer Julie Jacobs said the pet food drive aims to address an increased need for assistance for pet owners.

“One of our board members is aware that Wisconsin Humane Society is seeing a slightly higher intake of animals,” Jacobs said. “We just want to make it easier for people to keep their pets.”

This year’s project began with another Cause for PAWS volunteer calling businesses, looking for a partner. Last year, the nonprofit did a similar donation drive with the Bank of Luxemburg, who reached out to them, so Jacobs said A Cause for PAWS was confident they could find another business willing to participate — and they were right.

The collaboration is simple. Festival Foods houses the donation boxes and keeps an eye on them, but this high-traffic area has high odds of receiving more donations. A Cause for PAWS volunteers will check the bins periodically, bringing them to the food pantry to be sorted when they are full.

Jacobs said while her group has not worked with current Director Eric Weidner before, they have collaborated with the pantry in the past, so when she reached out, Weidner was thrilled to continue the collaboration.

A Cause for PAWS has continued on their mission to establish contracts with the Wisconsin Humane Society in every municipality in Kewaunee County, having now gotten Algoma, Kewaunee, Luxemburg, Casco and Ahnapee to approve individual contracts, according to Jacobs. The nonprofit will participate in Kewaunee County’s upcoming silent auction, April 23-27, on auction platform 32. They are accepting donations from businesses, which will be auctioned off to raise funds for the nonprofit.