WAUPUN — Over $2,300 was donated to the Waupun Food Pantry last week by local business owner Jodi Mallas.
The funds were collected through a home garden stand selling produce Mallas gardened herself.
“I have gardened for many years, and when we moved just outside of town a few years ago we had the good fortune to have the space to have garden space of over 5500 sq ft,” Mallas said in a statement to Waupun Pioneer News. “Being blessed with more than we can use or preserve for future use, we had to find a way to share the abundance.”
Mallas originally started bringing the extra produce to her realtor office to share, with some people even donating money for it. Mallas then donated the collected money to the Food Pantry, with the first few years collecting a few hundred dollars—but over $700 in 2025.
“With a larger garden and more produce, time was getting tight to get all the harvesting done and transporting everything into town,” Mallas said. “I made the decision to create a small stand at our house on Highway 49. I was concerned that people wouldn’t make the drive to grab veggies. I posted average prices for items at the stand, but noted in posts that all money would be donated to the pantry.”
“A few weeks into gardening season we saw that my concerns of fewer customers were unfounded,” she said. “This season our community and neighbors raised $2304.24 for the Waupun Food Pantry. My hope is these funds can assist the pantry wherever their greatest need is. The Food Pantry’s assistance goes far beyond just food for many in our community.”
Mallas runs My Property Shoppe, a local realtor business that serves the Waupun area at their office at 6 E Franklin St.
Terri Respalje, manager of the Waupun Food Pantry, expressed her gratitude for the donation.
“She buys all the seeds, she’s the one out there planting and holding and watering, praying for rain, praying for it to not rain, and then harvesting it,” said Respalje. “She does so much for the city of Waupun I just think she needs a little bit more recognition for things.”
The Waupun Food Pantry relies on community support to fund its operations. This includes keeping stock of both perishable and nonperishable food, homegoods, clothing, and more available for disadvantaged members of the community. The Food Pantry operates out of the Community Center at 520 McKinley St in their own space on the east side of the building.
