» Comedian steps up:
Jim Gaffigan raises $70,000 for food pantry
Comedian Jim Gaffigan and his family volunteer at the Riverwest Food Pantry, which is benefiting from ticket sales for one of Gaffigan’s shows.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan is famous for his jokes about foods like Hot Pockets, bacon and McDonald’s french fries.
But on Tuesday, he and his wife, Jeannie, and their children spent the day making sure those who need food can get it by volunteering at a Milwaukee food pantry — one that is receiving some $70,000 thanks to them.
Gaffigan added an extra Friday performance to his series of New Year’s Eve shows at the Pabst Theater, and is donating 100% of the ticket sales from that show to the Riverwest Food Pantry. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Gaffigan’s New Year’s Eve shows in Milwaukee.
“I consider Milwaukee my hometown-in-law. My wife is from Milwaukee, and I’ve been coming here for a long time,” Gaffigan said while sorting nonperishable food. “And we’ve been married? 120 years now.”
Jeannie Gaffigan’s brother, Vincent Noth, is the executive director of the food pantry, where the family has been volunteering for years.
“It’s not just about giving away food, but there’s a sustainable quality to helping people out,” Gaffigan said.
“The food is like an open door for people to come in, and then they receive all sorts of mentoring,” Jeannie added. “So it kind of elevates it to a different level.”
The Riverwest Food Pantry aims to connect people with additional social services to help reduce poverty, such as counseling, cooking demonstrations, housing assistance and job search help. Noth said the $70,000 raised by Gaffigan would be used to help fund a new mentoring program and a recently launched dietary health curriculum.
“What we’re trying to do is draw people together through food,” Noth said. “Then to bring greater stability to people’s lives, and to the overall community.”
The pantry, which is part of the Hunger Task Force Network, distributes some 240,000 pounds of food to about 12,000 people each year. One-third of those people are children, Noth said.
“It’s good to hear some good news coming out of Milwaukee, because it’s not always good news coming out of Milwaukee,” Jeannie Gaffigan said. “But when I come visit here, I see the revitalization of the city. I
“It’s not just about giving away food, but there’s a sustainable quality to helping people out.” JIM GAFFIGAN
think it’s really important to be an inspiration for other cities like this.”
Jim Gaffigan described volunteering at the food pantry as “kind of like an anti-depressant.”
“Afterward, you’re like, ‘Well, I’m not a monster if I helped out at the food pantry,’ ” he said.
They also talked about how much their five children have benefited from volunteering.
“We try to make having a heart for other people part of their lives, especially at Christmas when it becomes all about, ‘What am I going to get? What am I going to get?’ ” Jeannie Gaffigan said. “It’s so important for children to understand that not everybody lives like this.”
All four of Jim Gaffigan’s shows at the Pabst Theater have sold out, but those interested in donating to the Riverwest Food Pantry can text the word “bacon” to 91999.