Our Mission
Mission Statement: The Oshkosh Area Community Pantry strives to eliminate food insecurity.
Vision Statement: The Oshkosh Area Community Pantry believes in the vision of a community where no one goes hungry. We will work tirelessly and in collaboration with all partners necessary to achieve this goal.
Values: The Oshkosh Area Community Pantry respects the dignity of all guests and partners; understands and addresses the nutritional needs of guests; works to be adaptable and responsive to the food needs of the community; acts responsibly to ensure the trust of donors, guests, and partners.
HISTORY
HOW OACP STARTED
In 1989, a group of Oshkosh churches joined together to operate the Ecumenical Food Pantry, located in Trinity Episcopal Church on Division Street. The pantry started in a 12x25 room and grew over the years, taking up the entire church basement.
Over the years, as the number of guests receiving services from the Ecumenical Pantry regularly increased, Trinity Episcopal graciously offered the more spacious basement level of the parish hall for its operation. Seven churches - Trinity Episcopal, First Congregational, First United Methodist, Algoma United Methodist, Wesley United Methodist, Christ Lutheran and First Presbyterian – supported the work of the pantry through donations from volunteers, money, and in-kind donations.
Using a volunteer staff drawn primarily from the participating churches and relying entirely on the donations of the community, the Ecumenical Food Pantry served a steadily increasing food-insecure population in Oshkosh, serving over 14,000 guests in 2008. The Ecumenical Food Pantry was committed to serving all residents from Oshkosh by only requiring proof of residency and the number of individuals residing in the household, which would determine the amount of food distributed.
FORMATION AND RATIONALE
Over the years, a growing consensus developed by community leaders that food insecurity had become a real concern for a portion of the citizens in the Oshkosh community. Food insecurity can result in children and adults having to reduce the amount of food eaten, skipping meals, and eating foods high in calories but low in nutritional value.
CONCLUSION
Community leaders concluded that hunger and food insecurity could no longer be satisfied by government programs and church groups alone.
A more unified and organized effort would be needed to meet the immediate needs of those facing food insecurity in our community. A new non-profit agency, the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry (OACP), was formed to address these community needs. Steve Vickman was named Executive Director. The Oshkosh Area Community Pantry became the successor organization to the Ecumenical Food Pantry on January 1, 2008. The OACP has formed a partnership with the Saint Vincent de Paul Society to lease space on the site at 2551 Jackson Street.
OACP TODAY
Today, the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry is still located within the Saint Vincent de Paul Society building located at 2551 Jackson Street in Oshkosh. It is made up of five staff members and continues to run primarily with the help of its dedicated volunteers. Each year OACP distributes over one million pounds of food to over 31,000 guests. Additionally, OACP works with local partners, including Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), the Oshkosh Area School District, and other local food pantries in Winnebago County as they strive to eliminate food insecurity.