Dodger Food Locker, Inc

About

The Dodger Food Locker was founded to address food insecurity by providing gift certificates for families of children in the Dodgeville School District to purchase food on the weekends during the school year.  We have grown from supporting 7 families in 2016 to over 120 children in the 2023-2024 school year.  Our main sources of funding are donations from individuals and businesses, fundraisers, and grants.

Why we exist

• There are kids who don’t have enough food to eat from the time they leave school Friday until they return to school Monday. The DFL exists for them.

What we do

• We provide food gift certificates, redeemable at Piggly Wiggly, Badger Market in Ridgeway, and Ruby’s  Pantry, each Friday for families to buy food on the weekends
• At the start of the school year,  families fill out a survey to indicate need or the program. This is done anonymously; only the school councilors know the families.

History to current

• Originated with a sub group of Kiwanians and community members who saw a need and modeled after a similar program in Mineral Point
• First year supported 7 students in RES in 2016
• Rolled out to DES and four years later expanded to DMS and DHS
• Currently,  we have 93 families and 160 kids in our program this school year (highest ever). We expect to pay for about $90,000 in redeemed certificates
• Students by school
• DES - 110
• DMS - 35
• DHS - 15
• 30% have one student in household
• 70% have more than one student on household

Donations

• grants - 27%
• Businesses / service orgs - 37%
• Individuals - 36%
• More than 50 business and service organizations have donated
• More than 250 individuals have donated
• We also try to hold a fundraiser or be involved in a volunteer activity each month in order to generate funds and build awareness

DFL Board

• We currently have 11 members on our board (all volunteers)
• President: Becky Tank (Becky is an original member and it’s because of her leadership we are able to continue to serve so many families)
• Vice President: Sharon Christensen (Sharon stepped up to fill out Vice President role after our sweet Janice Neil passed way last year)
• Secretary: Steph Martin (attending the dinner - supports the DFL in secretarial duties, and is also the chair of our biggest fundraiser, the Cookie Walk. Her family is also financially supportive as her husband Joey has donated several thousand dollars from his smiles Holes Fore A Cause)
• Treasurer: Janice Grayson
• Board members: 
• Ann Alleman (past secretary and attending the dinner), Renee Aurit, Joyce Widder, Dylan and Beka Shaffer, Kris Hirsch, and Nancy Brewer (DES councilor and the organizer of all process related aspects of the program)