What our Volunteer Program Manager Julia Prange Wants You to Know About Volunteering at Hunger Task Force

Hunger Task Force relies on the help of more than 16,000 generous volunteers every year. From food sorting and building healthy food boxes for seniors to helping individuals shop on the Mobile Market and harvesting at The Farm, their involvement ensures we can feed nearly 50,000 local children, families and seniors every month.

Have you ever wondered who runs Hunger Task Force’s highly impactful Volunteer Program? Get to know our Volunteer Program Manager Julia Prange!

Q: Why is volunteering so important to you?

Julia: To me, it’s so important to contribute to the vitality of your community and engage with and serve your neighbors. At Hunger Task Force, we offer a really diverse volunteer program. On any given day, we could have four or five unique volunteer events community members can participate in.

Q: What tips do you have for community members who want to get involved but need help finding a group to volunteer with?

Julia: Folks who are really successful in our volunteer program use their personal or work communications platforms to get the word out. They reach out to people beyond those in their inner circle or on their team at work and connect with those in their social media network or company. When engaging an entire organization, you’ll be able to meet new people within your company which can also be a benefit for career growth.

At Hunger Task Force we’re seeing a growing number of companies looking to roll up their sleeves to help feed the hungry. Many local companies are offering volunteer time off or matching gifts to incentivize employees to give back. If you don’t know what your company policy is – ask! If you don’t have one now, asking may spearhead creating one in the future.

Q: What do you love about working at Hunger Task Force?

Julia: As an employee for the last six years, I’ve gotten to work in almost every department. Which has been such a great way for me to understand how Hunger Task Force operates and feeds people throughout the state of Wisconsin. As I coordinate all our volunteer efforts now, the foundational knowledge helps me educate volunteers about the impact of their time and provide a good volunteer experience. I get asked a lot of questions!

Q: What type of volunteer engagement is Hunger Task Force looking for?

Julia: We see all different types of engagement levels. We have groups that come in once a year and always do the same activity. Other groups come in quarterly to volunteer in a variety of programs. Some individuals come weekly and others quarterly.

I think a lot of folks show up for their first volunteer shift and don’t realize all the different programs we have and volunteer opportunities that we offer – from Senior Farmers Market vouchers to The Farm and community festivals. Coming for their first volunteer shift opens their eyes to our community impact and can encourage them to get involved in other programs too. So many volunteers are surprised to understand the scope of our programming and how many different ways they can get involved.

Q: What are some of your goals for the Volunteer Program this year?

Julia: My goal continues to be to make the volunteer program the best it can be. I am working to develop more ways to volunteer with Hunger Task Force and engage new volunteers. I am also implementing opportunities for volunteer recognition – especially for long-term volunteers.

To learn more about volunteering at Hunger Task Force, visit www.HungerTaskForce.org/volunteer/.

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.