Rhonda Adams

A reward of working at The River Food Pantry on Madison’s Northside is being able to help the community daily, according to Rhonda Adams, the pantry’s executive director.

Adams has worked with the pantry for the last decade. She came in as pantry operations manager in 2013. Four years later, she was named vice president and director of advancement. In 2020, she was named interim executive director and then executive director.

Before working with the pantry, Adams was a division sales manager with Avon Products Inc.

“In my previous sales job, it was hard to find time to give back,” she said. “Every day at The River I get to work beside our staff and volunteers to serve our wonderful neighbors. I feel that I get more than I give. No matter how hard the day is, I always go home filled with gratitude.”

The transition from working in the for-profit sector to working in the non profit sector was instructive, Adams said.

“When I switched from the for-profit sector … one of the biggest challenges I faced was learning all about what makes nonprofits and food pantries unique,” she said. “I had never seen such an extensive food pantry operation before. I also quickly realized that the impact of food insecurity on our community was much greater than I thought.”

Adams’ status as a veteran helps her connect with other veterans at the pantry. She served in the US Army and US Army Reserves for 21 years, retiring as a master sergeant.

“While I am concerned for everyone dealing with food insecurity, I have a special place in my heart for veterans in need,” she said. “As a veteran myself, I’m always looking for ways to nourish food-insecure veterans and their families.”

According to a 2021 US Department of Agriculture report, about 11% of working-age veterans lived in food-insecure households, with more than 5% living in households with very low food security, with “normal eating patterns disrupted due to limited resources.”

In November 2021, The River raised $48,000 to provide food and meals for local veteran service organizations, Adams said.

The pantry has also partnered on Veteran’s Day with Lasagna Love to provide free lasagnas to Dane County veterans. Founded at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lasagna Love’s mission is to not only help relieve food insecurity but to spread kindness through delivery of meals home-cooked by volunteers.

Adams is also an organizer of Vets Connect and a member of the Rotary Club of Madison’s Veterans Fellowship.

“I love connecting local veterans with one another to provide fellowship and support, which many times is done best through food,” she said.

Building such personal relationships is the most rewarding aspect of the work, she said. “Whether it’s a client, staff member, volunteer, donor, or partner, I am so grateful to hear people’s stories and be a part of their lives as much as they’ll allow me to.”

Adams’ service to the community extends beyond her work at the pantry. She is a member of 100+ Women Who Care-Madison, a philanthropic organization whose members have donated more than $590,000 to Dane County charities since 2014.

When she’s not working, she loves spending time with her family, which includes her husband and two adult sons. She also enjoys flower gardening, traveling, walking, and reading.