LAONA – Helping Hands of Forest County will welcome community members to an open house Thursday, September 3, 2026 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at its food pantry, 4876 Mill St. in Laona.

Lunch will be provided, and guests who bring a donation will be entered into a drawing for gift baskets. Board members will offer tours and share the organization’s accomplishments from the past year.

The pantry was established after UW-Extension and Forest County CAN worked with Feeding America in 2025 to identify a new location following the closure of NEWCAP’s Crandon food pantry. Laona was selected because of its central location in Forest County and the absence of a grocery store or food pantry in the community.

The Richard and Mary Anne Connor family donated vacant space in the Ovitz-Castaldo Building, formerly used as a clinic. The building also houses the Laona Pharmacy.

Helping Hands of Forest County is a nonprofit organization serving children, seniors and families throughout the county. It is supported by donations from individuals, businesses and organizations, along with grants, and receives no state or federal funding to purchase food or operate its programs.

The pantry participates in the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program and receives monthly deliveries through Feeding America and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The assistance is intended to provide households with a three- to five-day emergency food supply. Helping Hands must provide an equivalent amount of donated or purchased food.

The pantry is open Tuesdays from 3:00 to 6:00 pm Current board members are Tammy Collins, Anne Chrisman, Susan Connor, Kathy Fohrman and Tracy Pergande.

For more information, email info@helpinghandsfc.org or call 715-889-5360. Donations may also be mailed to Helping Hands of Forest County, P.O. Box 151, Laona, WI 54541.

Photo Credit: Helping Hands of Forest County

Published on: Aug 24, 2026 at 10:39 am