Guy Hansen

The Rhinelander Food Pantry has set its first distribution date at its new facility for Saturday, October 4th.

The organization is moving to a larger space on Coon Street that it says will be much more functional. 

As Food Pantry Director Guy Hansen explains, it’s been a busy few weeks, with major construction projects getting completed at the new site.  Contractors and dozens of volunteers have put on a new roof and installed a large dividing wall. 

The Rhinelander Food Pantry has gotten the OK from the state to move ahead with major structural changes to its new building. 

The food pantry will have more space at its new Coon Street location, but first the roof needs replacing.

Director Guy Hansen says now that state approval has come in, building plans are moving ahead. 

The Rhinelander Food Pantry got a step closer to a new home Monday, as the Golden Harvest grocery store opened its new location.  But there’s still a few months of work ahead before the food pantry can open its new doors.

The old Golden Harvest grocery building on Coon Street sits nearly empty, as the store finishes a move to a new building more than twice as large.  Golden Harvest owner Timothy Conjurske says until now the store was bursting at the seams.

Rhinelander Area Food Pantry is more than halfway to its fundraising goal for moving to a new location.  St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Rhinelander has donated $25,000 to help the food pantry buy a new building. 

Rhinelander Area Food Pantry Executive Director Guy Hansen says it’s the capitol campaign’s largest donation so far. 

“We have had two or three major donations.  But mostly they’re donations of anywhere from one hundred to a thousand dollars typically.” 

Grocery stores and shopping centers aren’t the only places seeing heavy traffic this time of year. 

Rhinelander Food Pantry Executive Director Guy Hansen says demand goes up during the holidays.

“Our business increases – we have a lot of people that come in, when they wouldn’t come in other times of the year, because they’re preparing for holidays, company and so on.  And money’s always a little short at this time of the year.”