The River Food Pantry – Dane County, WI

Our Mission

Food, resources and faith to build a stronger community

Our Vision

A fully nourished community

About Us
The River is South Central Wisconsin’s busiest food pantry. Services include free groceries for pickup or delivery, to-go meals, online grocery orders, mobile meals, and after-hours food lockers. The River also recovers food and resources—that would otherwise go to waste—from local retailers. Since 2006, The River has grown to serve over 4,000 people every week in pursuit of its vision: a fully nourished community.

New Building Update: January 2026

After months of anticipation, this is getting real! Right now, The River is temporarily closed while staff move our entire operation into our new home at 3301 Packers Ave. On Dec. 23, 2025, The...

So Very Grateful!

  These things have been flooding my head this afternoon. Grateful — I'm truly grateful for so many things. I had to pause in the parking lot after having my annual mammogram on Wednesday...

Affordability Has Become a Crisis in Dane County

You’ve seen the rising prices at the grocery store. You know how quickly costs for housing, childcare, medical care, and basic necessities add up. For thousands of your neighbors, these increases...

2024 Impact

unique individuals

throughout Dane County served a total of

times