The Middleton Food Bank has been serving local families for more than five decades, but organizers say they are now facing some of the toughest conditions in the organization’s history.
Founded in 1972 by Pat and Hugo Sayre, the food bank originally operated out of a church basement. More than 50 years later, the mission remains the same — but the space has drastically changed.
Today, volunteers operate out of just two storage lockers behind the Dollar Tree on Main Street, stretching limited resources to meet growing community needs.
Joseph Dumoulin has been involved with the Middleton Food Bank for 20 years and has served as its Executive Director for the past nine. He helps coordinate donations from local schools, Ridley’s grocery store, and the organization’s annual yard sale — all essential to keeping the food bank running.
WATCH: Volunteers with the Middleton Food Bank are continuing to serve families out of just two storage lockers
“We’ve been really blessed this year,” Dumoulin said.
Even so, longtime volunteer Beverly says supplies can still run low. “But this is about the most we ever get right now,” Beverly said. “Yeah. But it gets pretty skimpy sometimes, too.”
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Dumoulin said financial donations are limited, while basic operating costs continue to add up.
“We don't have too many people that donate money to keep it going, and we put out about $2,400 a year for the storage and the power,” Dumoulin said. “But we make it — we seem to hang in there every year.”
On average, the Middleton Food Bank serves about 250 families each month. For volunteers like Beverly, that means seeing the financial strain many community members are facing firsthand.
“There’s a lot of seniors, and there’s a lot of young families, and people are having hard times,” Beverly said. “The cost of groceries keeps going up, and their paychecks just aren’t extending.”
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Volunteers work year-round in extreme conditions — from summer heat to winter snow — often in cramped quarters. Dumoulin said the food bank’s greatest need right now is more space and additional community support.
Despite the challenges, organizers say they remain committed to serving families in Middleton.
The Middleton Food Bank is open Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
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