Meet the new faces of Hunger Task Force

May 17, 2022

The principal strength of Hunger Task Force is its compassionate and committed staff. This month, Hunger Task Force is proud to announce the addition of three new faces to our Operations, Warehouse and Administration teams. We are thrilled to welcome Lisa, Roual and Nick to Hunger Task Force.

Lisa Karnish

Distribution Specialist

As Hunger Task Force works to feed local families while supporting our Wisconsin partners in the fight against hunger statewide, Lisa Karnish joins Hunger Task Force as the food banks first Distribution Specialist. A part of the Operations team, Lisa works to coordinate and deliver food to the network of pantries, meal sites and statewide hubs Hunger Task Force supports. She also supports warehouse functions, Badger Box distributions and serves as a back up to our team of Route Representatives.

“Between working jobs all over the United States doing everything from farming to advocacy to warehousing- combined with backpacking trips abroad, I gained a worldview that has shown me how improper food distribution can affect different communities and tribes,” shares Lisa.

She brings a diverse and dynamic set of skills and experience – including farming, warehousing and advocating –  to the Hunger Task Force team. “Working for Hunger Task Force will allow me to help provide stability and resources to others, bridging the gap between various groups of people to get food where it’s most needed.”

Roual Shaw

Distribution Assistant

Roual Shaw recently joined Hunger Task Force as a part-time Distribution Assistant. Reporting to the Inventory Control Manager, Roual assists the Warehouse team with the delivery of food, loading and unloading of trucks, recording deliveries and building orders for our network of pantry and meal program partners. Roual works closely with the Operations team, site staff and community volunteers.

“Everyone has been so nice,” shares Roual. “As soon as I started, I felt very welcome and a part of the team. That’s important in a workplace.” Roual brings previous warehouse and shipping experience to his position with Hunger Task Force.

Nick Labinski

Policy Analyst

Transitioning from a career in higher education, Nick Labinski joins the Hunger Task Force Administration team as the new Policy Analyst. Previously an assistant professor of Public Speaking and Rhetoric at the University of Wisconsin – Stout, Nick researches and analyzes data, informing strategic decision making for the organization. As the Policy Analyst, he also identifies, conducts, and disseminates research on federal nutrition programs, disseminating findings to agency staff and external constituents.

“It’s one thing to study and teach communication, but it’s another thing to apply it to make a difference,” shares Nick. “I’m so happy to be at an organization making a positive change in the world.”

Tapping into his diverse professional and educational background, Nick also assists with grant applications, utilizes technology to map and highlight geographic trends in nutrition programs, summarizes current, pending and proposed legislation and creatively finds the most clear and concise way to present multi-dimensional data.

Hunger Task Force is Milwaukee’s Free & Local food bank and Wisconsin’s anti-hunger leader. The organization provides healthy and nutritious food to hungry children, families and seniors in the community absolutely free of charge. Hunger Task Force was founded in 1974 by a local advocacy group who then formed Milwaukee’s first food bank. Today, Hunger Task Force is 100% supported by the community and provides a safety net of emergency food with dignity to a network of 75 food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters. Through legislative analysis, education and community organizing, Hunger Task Force continues to advocate for anti-hunger policy at the local, state and federal level. For more information, visit HungerTaskForce.org.