I hate cold. I mean, I really hate cold.

I would be happy wrapped up in blankets all day, drinking cup of coffee after cup of coffee.

So, why am I going to spend hours outside at Freezin’ for Hunger at Waukesha JanBoree at Lowell Park on Jan. 21?

Frankly, it is because there is a need.

Freezin’ for Hunger was started by Waukesha Police Officer Tim Probst. He camped out all night at the Waukesha Family YMCA a few years ago to collect food and monetary donations for the Food Pantry of Waukesha County, said Sue Harter, recreation supervisor for the city’s Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department.

I will be out there this year, so come find me and bring a can of green beans or the change from your car. People will be at Lowell Park from 4 p.m. to midnight taking the collections. You don't even have to get out of your car, the event will have a drive-thru set up from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. That means you don't have to carry the donations. You can drop the food off, park and spend the rest of the night sledding and watching fireworks while knowing you helped someone else out in the community.

The venue may have changed but the concept behind the event has remained the same. Waukesha has a need, and individuals throughout the community are working to make sure that need is met.

In January, people’s utility bills begin to rise, said Karen Tredwell, the executive director of the Food Pantry of Waukesha County. That means they have even less money in their accounts to pay for the necessities like food.

“We are open every month of the year, and we are open six days a week,” Tredwell said. “We really do look for additional donations after the holiday donations drop off, so we don’t have to reduce the amount of food for clients.”

In addition to food donations, the food pantry is always need of monetary funding to help with overhead costs and to purchase items such as fresh milk, frozen meat, canned goods and cereal to keep the food pantry shelves stocked.

So, if you are at the JanBoree and see people collecting items through Freezin’ for Hunger, but forgot to bring non-perishable food, Tredwell said even the change in people’s pockets help.

“It is really a great thing because if people forget to bring food, we also have the ability to take cash donations,” she said. “Even if people have some spare change or a couple of dollars to contribute, it is very, very helpful.”

Service at the food pantry has dramatically increased during the past few years and 2010 was no exception. In November 2009, 7,268 people were served, but that number increased to 7,654 people in November 2010.

December 2009 had 5,498 visits to the food pantry, a figure which increased last month to 6,311.

But it isn’t all about the stats.

A few weeks before Christmas, a young family came to the food pantry. It was snowing, they had never been there before and the roads were slippery.

But they came, they were desperately seeking help they weren’t finding in other places.

The parents told their story when they arrived. The man had a stable job, so they did not qualify for government services. But the young couple had a baby that needed specialized formula as the baby was soon going to have open-heart surgery.

At $24 a canister, the formula was expensive and the medical expenses were creating a drain on the family’s budget. They came to the food pantry seeking only the formula for their sick child, Tredwell said.

“They were already in pretty significant debt and were struggling to provide for the baby,” said Tredwell, who was getting choked up telling the story.

The family didn’t realize they would be eligible for food for themselves – their only concern was for their baby. The food pantry was able to help them out with the formula and additional food. The food pantry actually had the specialized formula, which Tredwell said was a “miracle.”

“When they left, the mom was just in tears. She said before she left, ‘Your kindness has balanced our pain,’” Tredwell said. “… Those are the sorts of things we experience all the time.”