Hunger Task Force’s new Southside Community Resource Center allows more families to be served
Hunger Task Force has moved its Southside Community Resource Center to a new, larger space.
Physically, the Milwaukee-based anti-hunger and nutrition advocacy organization has only shifted its resource center about a block down the street ― you can see the old building out the windows of the new office.
However, Hunger Task Force CEO Matt King said the newly renovated, 7,000-square-foot space at 802 W. Historic Mitchell St. will allow the organization to improve the way it serves its clients in a big way.
For 15 years, Hunger Task Force has helped clients and families in the Historic Mitchell Street area apply for and access FoodShare benefits, Wisconsin’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The resource center also connects clients to other benefits and resources like health insurance, job training, rental and energy assistance and child care, King said. Hunger Task Force operates a similar resource center on Milwaukee’s north side at 4144 N. 56th St.
Many of the center’s clients travel by foot or bus, so moving just down the road was intentional, King said.
“The community has really come to know and trust our staff, and, as the need has grown, … that drove the need for us to invest into this new space,” he said. “We’re committed to this district, this neighborhood, and so we intentionally looked to stay close by for our clients.”
Most of the center’s staff have relocated to the new location, but, for the next couple weeks, a few will remain at the old building to redirect clients, King said. Staff will also put up signs informing people that the center has moved “behind you across the street.”
The center serves about 1,000 people per month ― a number that’s climbed, especially in the last two years, as people increasingly struggle with the high costs of housing, rent, groceries and other items, King said.
“We have seen a tremendous increase in need over the last few years and a lot of families coming in for help. There’s a lot of need for other resources, even beyond food. So, this expanded space will double what we have, compared to our previous facility.”
The space also features a family waiting area with children’s books and toys and has private rooms for staff members to meet with clients.
“There are a lot of situations where guests have experienced some sort of trauma or acute stress, so, for them to be able to have a separate space where staff can take them can give them the privacy and dignity they deserve to understand their situation and meet them where they’re at,” King said.
Hunger Task Force helps community members apply for benefits and resources
The resource center is equipped with all the necessary technology ― including computers, phones, copy and fax machines, and printers ― for people to find and apply for resources and benefits. Staff are available to guide and educate people on the technology and navigating the benefits systems, King said, but clients can also come in and use the technology themselves; no appointment is needed.
The new facility allows up to 20 people to be served at once, including at 10 self-service station computers ― double the number of self-service stations at the old building. There’s no income restriction to use the space, but many of the benefit and resource programs have restrictions, King said.
At the new center, Hunger Task Force has also debuted live translation technology to help communicate with clients who don’t speak any of the over 10 languages spoken by staff, King said.
Historic Mitchell Street Business Improvement District executive director Nancy Bush helped Hunger Task Force find the building, which it bought in July, King said. Renovations started in September and will continue for the next few weeks.
“It was a substantial overhaul and improvement; we essentially gutted the space …,” King said. “It needed quite a bit of TLC. We opened it up to be able to have the entire Mitchell Street side open, inviting and visible for people.”
The renovation also added a large breakroom where staff can watch television, eat and relax.
“Those who work here end up taking on a lot and are helping a lot of people who are going through stress and traumatic circumstances,” King said. “It was really important for us, when envisioning this space, to make sure that our staff had a place where they could go and recharge. … It’s a space that’s befitting of their incredible work and commitment to the mission.”
More information about Hunger Task Force resources
Hunger Task Force’s Southside Community Resource Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. More information can be found at hungertaskforce.org/get-help/foodshare-resources.
