This month, Holy Family Catholic Community’s meal-to-go program Blessed Bites is celebrating five years of operation and thousands of meals served.

Blessed Bites started in 2020 amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Across the nation, food pantries saw a dramatic uptick in the need for food, as individuals and families faced increased financial hardship.

According to the University of Wisconsin, about one in ten households experienced food insecurity, or “didn’t have the food they needed or were uncertain about whether they could get the food they needed,” prior to the pandemic. During the pandemic, Feeding America estimated that more than one in eight — and one in five children — experienced food insecurity.

While the number of those struggling to find and afford food grew, many pantries struggled to operate as usual due to conditions from the pandemic, including food and staffing shortages.

To help fill the gap, Holy Family began Blessed Bites. Every Tuesday at St. Mary Church, 59 E. Merrill Ave., Blessed Bites provides free to-go meals, non-perishable food, and hygiene and home care products like toothpaste and detergent, to those in need in the Fond du Lac area. The program runs from 4:00 to 4:30 pm — or until meals run out.

Although the pandemic has passed, the need has not waned. In the past couple of years, the program has seen the number of meals needed every Tuesday increase. This is in line with food pantry trends across Eastern Wisconsin. According to Feeding America, while food insecurity had been trending downwards in Wisconsin as of 2022, it is once again increasing, as one in eight individuals are food insecure. 

Through the support of the community and its team of volunteers, Blessed Bites continues to be able to meet the need.  

Meals served at Blessed Bites are made by the giving hands of our parishioners and members of the greater Fond du Lac community. Over the years, individuals and groups have supported the program through donations of meals, non-perishable food items, and other care products. Local businesses and organizations have also contributed to Blessed Bites by making monetary donations and hosting drives to collect items distributed to those utilizing the program.

With their help, Blessed Bites has served approximately 17,000 meals since September 2020.

“Every Tuesday, when we open the doors for Blessed Bites, it is not just Holy Family that is helping individuals and families put food on their table, but our community as a whole. Blessed Bites would not exist if it weren’t for neighbors helping neighbors,” Holy Family Catholic Community Director of Human Concerns Erin Cobb said.

In celebration of the program’s five years of service, Holy Family Catholic Community is holding an anniversary food drive. The parish will collect non-perishable food items at the Holy Family Parish Office, 271 Fourth Street Way, the week of September 15 during its hours of operation, 7:30 am to 4:15 pm Monday-Thursday and 7:30 am to 12:00 pm on Friday. Items can also be dropped off at any of our churches the weekend of September 20-21. 

All donated items will support Blessed Bites and those who utilize it.

“We are grateful to celebrate five years of Blessed Bites and for everyone who contributed to help us reach this milestone. It is a privilege to be able to serve those who are hungry in our community, and we hope to look forward to doing so for many years to come,” Cobb said.