About Us
The River is South Central Wisconsin’s busiest food pantry. Services include free groceries and freshly prepared meals for pickup or delivery, online grocery orders, mobile meals, and after-hours food lockers. The River also redistributes rescued food and resources to local partners to increase access while minimizing waste. Since 2006, The River has grown to serve over 4,000 people every week in pursuit of its vision: a fully nourished community.
Located on Packers Avenue, The River is surrounded by low-income neighborhoods and subsidized senior housing—exactly where we’re needed the most.
In 2024, The River served 18,777 people facing food insecurity, which included children, adults, seniors, veterans, and those experiencing homelessness. Thanks to generous community support, The River was able to provide our Dane County neighbors with:
- 3.4 million pounds of food and supplies
- 126,042 freshly prepared to-go meals for entire households to enjoy at home
- 59,301 mobile meals in 24 low-income neighborhoods
- 3,122 grocery deliveries to the homebound
- 1,762 online grocery orders to provide client choice
- 833 after-hours food locker bags