The Stoughton Area Resource Team, Inc.
(START) provides a safety net for those in crisis. Recently, a 30-year old single father of two struggled to find work, to pay for daycare for his children and to secure a home; so much time was spent homeless and hopeless.
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Stoughton Personal Essentials Pantry
PO Box 147
Stoughton, WI 53589
Stoughton, WI 53589
Phone: 608-279-7613
Contact Name: Sharon Mason-Boersma
Vice President
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Organization Profile
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| The Purchase of Products & Supplies Project - 2024 |
Amount Funded: $2,500.00 |
| The purchase of personal essential products will be used by the funds provided to assure those we serve will be given the necessary and needed products for all ages. Those products are: feminine hygiene products; tooth brushes/paste/floss; shampoo/conditioner; deodorant; body wash/soap; skin lotion; razors/shaving cream; Q-tips; cotton balls; hand sanitizer; COVID masks; laundry soap; toilet paper; kleenex; household cleaner; dishwashing soap; paper towels; nail files; Lice Kits, and combs. To help with the need for providing certain product availability for seniors and young children, we are able to access some free products for incontinence needs for seniors & diapers for babies/toddlers by going to the Village Diaper Bank in Madison & at a local resource through the university.
Additionally, the funds provided will also help the cost of the monthly voucher that is given to the customer in need for purchasing personal essestial items needed during the month. Future events planned in supporting the PEP mission and vital services will be to connect with local businesses and schools for a "product drive." This will also help to promote public awareness and to let people know about PEP services that are free and available to those in need. Each November, PEP volunteers also send out letters to various community businesses, organizations, and some residents, for the recruitment of possible donations. |
| The Personal Essentials Pantry of Stoughton disburses over 35 different personal essential items to the public two times a month. The Pantry is open on the first and third Thursday of each month to provide the products that have been selected by the customer in need. The amount of products that are given to the customer are matched according to household size so that each member in a household receeives products for use. Each product is calculated to last up to 30 days. PEP serves approximately 60 households or 150-160 people in total each month. In detail, the customer in need is assigned an appointment time on Thursday to pick up the personal essential products. It should be noted that a PEP emergency bag is also provided for someone who has an urgent need but an appointnent was not set beforehand. PEP also provides a monthly $10 voucher for the customer in need to be cashed in at the local Stoughton Kroger/Pick N Save Grocery Store, in order to obtain personal essential products that maybe needed within a 30 day period.
Additionally, PEP provides a "PEP bin", at each school within the Stoughton School District of personal essential products for students in need to be accessible if needed during the school year season. For doing this, a collaborative effort has been made with school social workers and staff from each school to help students obtain personal essential products from PEP that might be needed and not be accessible at their homes. Encouragement is made to inform their caregivers/parents of the student in need about the availability of PEP services for themselves and families in the Stoughton community and area. As Stoughton grows, so does the need for PEP!
Since products, goods and services have increased in cost since the COVID pandemic, so have the expenses for PEP, and the need of personal essential products for individuals and families. Financial assistance for the operation continues with the help of monetary donations from grants, service clubs, businesses and organizations, & community residents. The volume of population served by PEP has also dramatically increased over the last 1-2 years. We serve mostly Stoughton area residents of all ages but have also met the needs of some residents from nearby communities.
Recruitment of volunteers to help with the disbursement two times a month is a necessity for operation sustainability. We also have 2 volunteers that take phone calls on a daily basis to set up the orders for product |
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