Diane Kryll is the coordinator of The United Lutheran Parish (TULP) Food Pantry in Tilleda. TULP consists of four churches: Elias in Gresham, Peace in Tilleda, St. John’s in Leopolis, and Zion in Tigerton.
Kryll was born in Tigerton and graduated from Tigerton High School. After earning a degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Kryll moved to Milwaukee, where she worked for several years. Since returning to Tigerton, she is the office manager at TULP in Tilleda. Previously, she taught computers at Northcentral Technical College in Wittenberg and Fox Valley Technical College in Clintonville.
Kryll and her husband of 36 years, Jim, who is retired, have four children and 10 grandchildren between them. On their hobby farm, they make wine out of whatever they grow or whatever people give them. The couple likes to travel.
Q How did the food pantry get started?
A “We started the food pantry in 2002, but it was very minimal. If somebody brought some food in, we stored it, but many times the shelves were empty. It got more organized in 2005, and in 2008 we started getting more financial support from church members with cash donations to purchase food. In 2009, we got a grant from FEMA. We got one again this year and almost every year, but it’s not guaranteed.”
Q Whom does it serve?
A “The food pantry serves anyone in our local area of western Shawano County. People come from Bowler, Gresham, Tilleda, Leopolis and Tigerton. It is spread by word of mouth. They call and set up the first meeting, where they are given a list of how it works and an intake form. All the information must be reported back to Feeding America. Once a month we distribute to 30 families. It is always on Wednesday.”
Q How do you help?
A “We order the food once a month and it is shipped to the Shawano Area Food Pantry and Resource Center in Shawano. Otherwise we would have to drive to Omro. It is a fantastic thing. We only get what’s available. I do most of the shopping. I watch the ads and fill in whatever else we need. I’ve gotten grants from different places. That helps me buy the extras. We get help from local groups, too. We have already done back-to-school supplies. The kids are very appreciative. All of the churches help support in different ways. They have food drives for us.”
Q Why do you help?
A “The food pantry is one way the churches get together and support the food pantry. It’s a mission that they can do in this area. It makes one feel good to see the gratitude the people have to put food on the table because they have been struggling. It’s one way I can help distribute food to needy families.”
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