Feeding the Hungry and Reaching Hearts

In 2015, when Fox Valley Church agreed to take over a food pantry operated by a smaller church, few adherents realized how prominent this outreach would become in its northeastern Wisconsin community.

Not only has the Fox Valley Food Pantry dramatically increased the number of families it serves, the Assemblies of God congregation has forged partnerships with other churches, food pantries, agencies, and businesses.

That means instead of the 200 people it helped originally, today the church has a hand in supplying groceries to nearly 3,500 people a month in the area around Kimberly, a town of 7,700.

In addition, the pantry has become so well-known it attracts numerous volunteers, many of whom have started attending services.

Last year, about half of the 120-plus pantry volunteers started attending church; 10 have become adherents. Thanks to the pantry activity, during 2025 Fox Valley recorded more than 100 conversions.

The impact of this influx is reflected in average Sunday attendance. It rose from 117 in 2020 to 155 last year, a 32 percent increase.

“I think the hearts of people resonate with God’s heart for our community,” says John M. Sitcler, 50, lead pastor since 2019. “Many remark that it is great to have an outreach program like this.

“Something inside of a Christian comes alive when the church is serving the community selflessly,” the pastor says. “People know God’s care is being expressed.”

Coordinator Becky A. Kramer says the pantry has become a hub for intermediaries since it receives substantial donations from grocery stores and other sources.

In turn, Fox Valley supplies food to five other churches and pantries, and a low-income seniors apartment complex. It also sends produce to an area farmer.

“We get all the food because we have volunteers and space for it and can get it to places that need it,” says Kramer, 43, who operates a beauty salon when not overseeing the pantry.

“Even though we only distribute food twice a month, we have volunteers coming in seven days a week. I think all the stuff we do for the community is pretty cool.”

In recent years, this help has expanded beyond food. In 2023, the church started supplying Christmas gifts to children of pantry clients, says Administrative Assistant Christina M. Kositzke.

“It started as an ‘Adopt a Family’ tree with 180 children and grew into a Christmas blessing,” says Kositzke, 29. “In 2025, we had 300 children under 18 who were able to get three gifts off their wish list, along with an age-appropriate book telling the story of Jesus’ birth.”

In addition, Fox Valley Church has organized a school supply drive for the 2026-27 year. In April, it raised $8,800 to purchase supplies, with two donors offering matching donations totaling $5,000.

About 300 children are expected for the July 25 event, when students will receive a backpack filled with age-appropriate school supplies.

Kramer and Children’s Pastor Jessica Case are organizing a family-oriented outing that day, including water activities and face painting.

Fox Valley’s youth are also involved in serving—in early May, they organized eight teams to pick up donations collected during the U.S. Postal Service’s annual food drive.

This stance of outreach and service is what persuaded Lisa J. Starke to volunteer at the pantry about five years ago.

She started by stocking groceries and later moved to the registration table, where she and fellow volunteer Henry Joosten are the first faces clients see.

Not only did Starke start attending Fox River after becoming a volunteer, she recently completed its membership class.

“Something inside of me was calling me to serve at this church,” says Starke, 66. “I get a warm feeling being able to help somebody.

“I’ve been lost myself, and if I can help somebody by explaining what we do or give them a hug, that’s great,” she says. “I hope our pantry goes on for years.”

For Kramer, the pantry has made a personal impact. After meeting a volunteer who was caring for her granddaughter, Becky agreed to babysit the girl.

That led her and her husband to eventually become foster parents; they are in the process of adopting the three-year-old girl, who will be their fourth child.

“The only reason I encountered our daughter is because her grandmother is a volunteer,” Kramer says. “Had I not been involved in the pantry, I wouldn’t have listened to God and moved into this new role. God had way bigger plans than I did.”

Sitcler says the pantry is one of the church’s 64 missions. In addition to AG missionaries overseas and in the U.S., it supports such local organizations as a crisis pregnancy center, a Christian radio station, and a community outreach center.

Sticler estimates Fox Valley’s missions giving equals 20 percent of its annual church budget.

The pantry is open twice a month, with its evening distribution running from 6 to 8 p.m. on the first Tuesday. On the third Tuesday, it is open from 10 a.m. to noon.

There are no income guidelines required to receive food, one of many aspects Sticler thinks offers a friendly face to newcomers.

“The pantry gets bigger every day,” the pastor says. “We never advertise it, but we have drivers who pick up food every day at grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants. We care about the community. We learned a long time ago that if we care about the community, they will care about us.”