Hunger Task Force CEO Matt King Reflects on 50th Year of Service as an Organization
2024 was an auspicious year, as Hunger Task Force celebrated and reflected upon our 50th year of service as an organization. Growing up in Milwaukee, I admired the impact that Hunger Task Force made in particular for kids living in poverty. Throughout our history, our community has stepped up in so many unique ways to help our neighbors during their time of need. To honor many of the inspiring and extraordinary stories, innovations and partnerships that have defined our history, we created the 50 Faces of Ending Hunger series.
It was also a unique year in its own right within our history. We celebrated the career of my longtime mentor Sherrie Tussler, who retired after 27 years of impactful service as CEO. During her remarkable tenure, Sherrie built a strong and responsive organization that successfully navigated many challenges including the Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic. Sherrie’s leadership cultivated a spirit of innovation, tenacity and deep connection to our mission that remains true.
Our work continues to be deeply rooted in our values of dignity, justice, equity, compassion and stewardship, which foster rich collaboration, partnerships and innovation.
- More than 15,000 community volunteers gave their time in support of our mission.
- Our statewide coalition, the Hunger Relief Federation, grew to over 150 member organizations in 62 counties throughout Wisconsin.
- Nearly 10,000 low-income seniors were served every month.
- The Farm had another banner year of production despite one of the wettest springs in Wisconsin’s history.
- Over 400,000 kids were served through our Summer Meals Collaborative.
Across all our programs, we served more than 50,000 people every month. Amidst inflated costs of living, the number of people seeking help continued to increase throughout the year. Most of our clients cited exorbitant increases in housing prices as a primary driver of their financial crisis. The community stepped up to meet the need at every turn, and we excelled in providing professional service with compassion and dignity at the forefront.
Hunger Task Force is in a strong position financially, organizationally and programmatically. Thank you for your generous support of our mission and help to make this impact possible. Whether you gave of your time, talents or treasure, you made a difference in the lives of others.
With gratitude,
Matt King
Chief Executive Officer
Hunger Task Force is Milwaukee’s Free & Local food bank and Wisconsin’s anti-hunger leader. The organization’s core values are Dignity, Justice, Equity, Compassion and Stewardship. Hunger Task Force feeds people today by providing healthy and culturally appropriate food to hungry children, families and seniors in the community absolutely free of charge. Hunger Task Force also works to end future hunger by advocating for strong public policies and nutrition programs at the local, state and federal level.