For the City Times

The Neighborhood Table (TNT), a free community meal program, announced that Jennifer Dolan will serve as its Operations Manager.

This is the first time since TNT’s inception in 2003 that the nonprofit organization will have a paid position.

“The Neighborhood Table has grown to the point where we need to have a dedicated person to carry out the day-to-day administration of our free community meal program,” said Mary Schultz, President of TNT. “Jennifer brings the experience and passion to promote awareness of the hunger issues that face our community and surrounding area.”

Dolan comes to this position after finishing two years of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA, and after numerous years as a college instructor and communication specialist.

“This will be a nice extension of the work I have performed with VISTA, the branch of AmeriCorps that specifically addresses issues of hunger and poverty,” said Dolan.

Dolan received The Governor’s Service Recognition Award for VISTA participant of the year at a ceremony held in Madison on June 2. One of Dolan’s main projects had been to help develop a farmers’ market gleaning program called Glean Central Wisconsin.

Last year, Dolan received a Pollination Project grant to expand the program to include the Rapids Mall farmers’ market. More than 4,000 pounds of produce from that program were donated to clients of TNT from July, 2015 through October, 2015. This year, produce collected through the program in Wisconsin Rapids will go to the South Wood County Emerging Pantry Shelf (SWEPS).