Francine Rask (HU Advisory Board Chair)
Brad Delwiche (HU Advisory Board Operations)
Gina Bauer (HU Advisory Board Finances)
Linda Roberts (HU Advisory Board Volunteer Coordinator)
Tarry Blanke (HU Advisory Board Volunteer Coordinator)
Joyce Evers (HU Advisory Board Operations)
Elaine Koenig (HU Advisory Board Operations)
Sarah Watt (HU Advisory Board Summer Lunch Coordinator)
Ellie Boebel (Vermont Lutheran Church Liaison)

Provide food and clothing assistance to those living in the Black Earth/Mazomanie area. They serve the following zip codes: 53503 (Arena), 53515 (Black Earth), 53517 (Blue Mounds), 53528 (Cross Plains), 53560 (Mazomanie). Families may visit weekly on Tuesdays from 4-6 pm at The Grove at 314 Anne St Mazomanie, WI. The Clothing Closet provides seasonal clothing for all ages and is available to any HU client. Additionally, they work with the Wisconsin Heights School District on the Kids’ Backpack program to address weekend food and nutrition insecurity. Families can work with the school principal to enroll. During the summer months, they offer a weekly summer lunch program at parks in Black Earth and Mazomanie. These free lunches are available to anyone under 18. They partner with Porchlight to provide rent/utility assistance to those facing homelessness in the Black Earth/Mazomanie area and My Neighbor in Need (NIN) in the Sauk Prairie area which coordinates food and household assistance. They currently serve 30-40 families per week and have a volunteer base of 80-90 members. Besides donations from the public and local businesses, food is also purchased through Second Harvest, CAC, or local stores. There is an advisory board that meets monthly.

Vermont Lutheran Church regularly contributes monetary donations collected during hospitality, through the collection plate, and endowment distributions, along with special food drives/events. There is a regular collection point for food items located in the Narthex. We are hoping to be more deliberate and intentional in these efforts by focusing on the most requested/needed items.

Heights Unlimited formed in 2017 after the Second Harvest Mobile Food Pantry was no longer able to provide services in this area. Initially, they were housed in the rear portion of the Black Earth Children’s Museum, but after the flood in 2018, they temporarily relocated to the New Heights Lutheran Church basement. After a few months, they moved into a rented commercial building by the BP gas station on Hwy 14 in Black Earth. After a number of years, they moved to their current location at the Grove in November of 2023. Operations have evolved over the years, when they first opened they were an “open pantry”, which meant there was no defined service area for clients. Several years ago, they modified operations and defined their service area to 5 specific zip codes.

Weekly food distribution and monthly advisory board meetings. Food donations collected in the Narthex are sorted and distributed between CIA and HU pantries on an as needed basis.

Heights Unlimited Advisory Board (see above list)

Heights Unlimited plans to continue services as is. From the Vermont Lutheran Church standpoint, we hope to become more deliberate and intentional in our contributions of food.

We would like to focus on collecting those “Top 10” needed items to expand the variety of products offered to clients. This includes things like condiments, hearty soups, crackers, baking ingredients and cereals.

At this point, we have one Vermont Lutheran Church member serving on the Heights Unlimited Advisory Board (Ellie Boebel) and a few members who volunteer their time.

Nothing at this time.