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Hunger Task Force News & Features
Brian McCarty Hopes to Inspire Other Medical Professionals to Give Back
Brian McCarty isn’t waiting on the world to change. Instead, he is investing his knowledge and resources into the community and encouraging others to do the same. He donated $500,000 to create the McCarty Education Kitchen – a highlight of the new Hunger Task Force headquarters.
Barb Notestein Mobilized Communities and Brought School Breakfast to Milwaukee’s Children
Barb Notestein’s career has been defined by her unwavering dedication to advocating for public policy initiatives aimed at feeding families and children in Milwaukee. In 1978, she was named the organization’s second Executive Director. She held the role until she left the organization in 1984.
Quadracci Family Supports Hunger Relief Through a Legacy of Generational Giving
Driven by Betty and Harry Quadraccis’ commitment to a thriving community, the family’s longstanding support for Hunger Task Force exemplifies their deep commitment to the well-being of their community, extending far beyond their prominent contributions to education, community development and the arts.
Wisconsin will replace FoodShare aid when outages spoil food, but filing requests isn’t easy
The federal government funds FoodShare through its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. It allows states to replace funds for households that lose food to misfortunes like refrigerator malfunctions, power outages or flooding. Nearly 26,000 FoodShare households in Wisconsin received $3.1 million in replacement benefits between December 2022 and November 2023. That’s far less than the up to $34 million in food that FoodShare households potentially lost from January’s storm alone, according to a state estimate.
Local Couple Pledges Future Support to Hunger Task Force Through Estate Gift
Local couple Bob and Dianna Haugh have pledged their support to Hunger Task Force by including the organization in their estate plans. Inspired by their own love of family meals, they hope their gift ensures future generations have access to nutritious food.
Spring 2024 Nutrition Education Quarterly available online
Hunger Task Force doesn’t just feed people in our community – we help along their health journeys, too. Hunger Task Force offers a robust Nutrition Education Program committed to providing useful tools to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Check out this seasonal edition of our Nutrition Education Quarterly. Explore this seasonal publication for helpful tips on healthy eating, cooking skills, budget-friendly shopping and ways to fit physical activity in your day.
Partner of the Month: Hmong American Friendship Association | April 2024
So far this year, HAFA has served more than 1,961 individuals at its client choice food pantry at which shoppers can select the items they wish to eat from the pantry shelves. This operation model has preserved dignity by letting clients decide what they want to eat and improved service quality and can reduce food waste.
Louie Gentine and Hunger Task Force Have Partnered for More than 20 Years to Provide Real Food for Wisconsin Families
For more than 20 years, Louie Gentine has joined Hunger Task Force in the fight against hunger by donating both cheese and capital so families can receive free food on the day they need it and in the neighborhood they live in.
Volunteer of the Month: Nate Koch | April 2024
Each month Hunger Task Force is honored to recognize an individual or group who go above and beyond in their service to the organization. From food sorting and building healthy food boxes for seniors to helping individuals shop the Mobile Market and harvesting at The Farm, volunteers help Hunger Task Force feed people today and support our work in ending future hunger.
Meet Laura Witkowski Our SNAP-ED Farmer Teaching Urban Students the Basics of Farming
Hunger Task Force offers a Farm-to-School program that gives nearly 30 students from Milwaukee Public Schools in third, fourth and fifth grade the opportunity to take bi-weekly field trips to the Hunger Task Force Farm during the growing season.
Hunger Task Force Shares Heart Healthy Meal with WISN 12
When stocking its 44 food pantries, Hunger Task Force uses what’s called the MyPlate model, it’s similar to the food pyramid, as a guide for helping people make good choices. “To make sure that the foods that we’re providing are healthy,” King said. “We are committed to using the kitchen as a way to teach people how to use those ingredients.” Nutrition educator Melanie Foland walked WISN 12 News’ Diana Gutierrez through the heart-healthy shrimp pasta dinner.
Alicia Williams is a Champion for Milwaukee Families With a Lifetime of Service
For over three decades, Alicia Williams has been a relentless advocate for Milwaukee’s most vulnerable residents. Her unwavering dedication to anti-hunger advocacy and community empowerment found a perfect home at Hunger Task Force, where her impactful work has left a lasting legacy. This commitment was honored in 2021 with the naming of Hunger Task Force’s north side FoodShare resource center – Alicia’s Place.
FoodShare Advocate Qadir Shah Hotak Helps Refugees Feel at Home in Milwaukee
Having grown up in Afghanistan, Qadir understands firsthand the difficulty people face when establishing roots in a new country. In 2022, Qadir joined the team at Hunger Task Force to fill an important need. He is the only FoodShare Advocate of Afghan descent and who speaks the two official languages of Afghanistan.
Hunger Task Force Helps St. Joseph Food Program and Walworth County Food & Diaper Bank Go the Extra Mile
Capacity is key when it comes to serving the community. Hunger Task Force is pleased to have made it possible for St. Joseph Food Program and Walworth County Food & Diaper Bank to receive a new refrigerated truck to enable both organizations to provide more fresh food to neighbors in need than ever before.
Hunger Task Force and Milwaukee County Parks Innovative Partnership to Reduce Food Insecurity in Milwaukee
Guy Smith, executive director of the Milwaukee County Parks, and Matt King, associate director and incoming CEO of Hunger Task Force, discussed the nearly 20-year partnership between the organizations to tackle hunger and promote environmental health in the city.
Hunger Task Force’s Sherrie Tussler’s nontraditional approach to fighting hunger
For the last 26 years, Sherrie Tussler has served the city and state by leading efforts to end hunger in Wisconsin as the CEO of the Hunger Task Force. Tussler, who is retiring in June, said her goal has been the same since she started in her role as CEO: to defend people against hunger.
Hunger Task Force and Palermo’s Pizza Distribute 600 “Easter Baskets for the Hungry” to Local Families in Need
Palermo’s Pizza again partnered with Hunger Task Force for the annual Easter Baskets for the Hungry program. Hunger Task Force worked with its local pantry network to identify 600 families in need who will be recipients of the Easter Boxes and coordinated a drive-thru distribution at the new West Milwaukee headquarters.
Partner of the Month: West Allis Health Department | March 2024
At Hunger Task Force, we know that access to nutritious food is a cornerstone of health and well-being. That’s why we’re thrilled to recognize the West Allis Health Department as our Partner of the Month for March 2024! This month, we’d like to especially highlight the successful series of hands-on cooking demonstrations we’ve co-hosted in our McCarty Education Kitchen.
Joe and Joyce Ellwanger Are the Passionate Couple Behind Hunger Task Force
Joe and Joyce Ellwanger, the passionate couple behind the creation of Hunger Task Force, initiated the organization’s journey in the 1970s by establishing a free breakfast program for students in Milwaukee’s low-income neighborhoods.
Marquette Free Throws Score Money for Charity
Free throws are making a difference off the court, for each one made by the Marquette men’s and women’s teams during the regular season, a $5 donation will be made to Hunger Task Force. Announcers sometime call the free throw line “the charity stripe,” that term is now literal thanks to the partnership with Johnson Controls, according to Breanna Holly, Senior Director of Corporate Philanthropy.
Empowering Women Leaders at the Hunger Task Force Farm: Celebrating Our Sarah’s on International Women’s Day
This International Women’s Day, we’re doubling the impact of “Sarahs” at the Hunger Task Force Farm. Let’s celebrate the remarkable leadership of not one but two outstanding women, Sarah Bressler, Farm Manager and Sarah Christman, Farm Produce Manager, who are breaking barriers in the male-dominated field of agriculture.
Hunger Task Force and Salvation Army Oak Creek Partner to Provide Nutritious Foods to Residents in Milwaukee’s Southern Suburbs
For more than 21 years, Hunger Task Force and Salvation Army Oak Creek have been working together to combat food insecurity in Milwaukee’s southern suburbs of Oak Creek, Greendale, Greenfield, Franklin and Hales Corners. In fact, nearly 50% of the food on pantry shelves is from Hunger Task Force.
Hunger Task Force Celebrates 2024 Wisconsin School Breakfast Champions
This year, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, School Nutrition Association of Wisconsin, Hunger Task Force, and No Kid Hungry Wisconsin are thrilled to recognize nine Breakfast Champions across the Badger state! As we dive into National School Breakfast Week (March 4-8), we want to recognize ALL of the individuals that go above and beyond to ensure that students start their day equipped with all of the tools they need to learn.
ARPA Support Fuels Growth and Efficiency at Wisconsin Food Pantries
Nestled in the heart of Pepin County, the Durand Area Food Pantry has been a beacon of hope for families facing hunger since the 1980s. Led by dedicated administrator Marcia Bauer, the pantry has not only weathered the pandemic storm but also emerged stronger thanks to its membership in the Hunger Relief Federation of Wisconsin and the transformative power of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Volunteer of the Month: Cheryl Latham | March 2024
Each month Hunger Task Force is honored to recognize an individual or group who go above and beyond in their service to the organization. From food sorting and building healthy food boxes for seniors to helping individuals shop the Mobile Market and harvesting at The Farm, volunteers help Hunger Task Force feed people today and support our work in ending future hunger.
Match Madness MKE Tips off on March 1, Double Your Dollar to End Hunger
Match Madness MKE, benefitting Hunger Task Force, tips off today. The spring gift-matching campaign supports hunger relief for children and families in Milwaukee County. For those looking to score big, every donation to Hunger Task Force during Match Madness MKE, held March 1 – 10, is doubled dollar-for-dollar.
Hunger Task Force Fosters Dignity and Connection through FoodShare Support
Ivette Rivera Soto, a 64-year-old retired teacher’s assistant living in Greenfield, knows the delicate dance of balancing budget, health, and family. Since connecting in July of 2020, Carmen Delvalle, FoodShare Advocate at Hunger Task Force, has helped Ivette navigate the intricacies of the FoodShare program and helped her receive, at the height of the pandemic, up to $204 a month in FoodShare benefits to spend on groceries and shop with dignity.
Toolkit Available! 2023-2024 NSBW School Breakfast Celebration
Wisconsin is celebrating School Breakfast this week and every week! School Breakfast is the most important school supply children can have access to! In this toolkit, we’ve gathered tools, templates, language and images that can be used in Wisconsin to celebrate School Breakfast during National School Breakfast Week (and any other time of the year.)
Alicia’s Place FoodShare Resource Center continues its community impact
About a quarter of a million people living in Milwaukee County rely on the FoodShare program and many people need help getting the access they need. Alicia’s Place FoodShare Resource Center has been a vital part of the community since 2021. Located at 4144 North 56th Street in Midtown Center, low-income families are welcome to get the help they need. It’s one of two FoodShare benefits outreach offices.
Jim Luther New Hope Center Food Pantry and Hunger Task Force Partner to Increase Access to Culturally Relevant Food in Milwaukee
Jim Luther New Hope Center Food Pantry, a member of Hunger Task Force’s pantry network, has experienced a nearly 50% increase in traffic since September 2023. To help the pantry properly serve Milwaukee residents in need, Hunger Task Force provides culturally relevant pantry staples which make up nearly one-third of the total food the pantry distributes monthly.
Buy-A-Bag Program Makes a Difference: Outpost Donates Over 80,000 Pounds of Non-Perishables and Produce
The Hunger Task Force is thrilled to announce a recent generous donation from Outpost Natural Foods Co-op through their Buy-A-Bag program! This incredible contribution of over 80,000 pounds of food will help nourish countless families facing hunger in our community.
For low-income seniors, getting healthy food is a challenge. Hunger Task Force uses DoorDash to help.
Monthly Stockboxes from Hunger Task Force fill a crucial gap in nutrition for local seniors. Nearly 11,000 people in the Milwaukee area receive a monthly Stockbox. Those who don’t get the boxes from a DoorDash driver pick them up at senior dining sites or at subsidized senior living facilities.
Valery Buechner Helped Hunger Task Force Become a TEFAP Administrator
Hunger Task Force is the long-standing, trusted administrator of the USDA commodity foods program – The Emergency Food Assistance Program. In 1998 Valery Buechner held a pivotal role in Wisconsin as the administrator of this program.
Unlocking Resources, Preserving Dignity: The Crucial Role of Pantry Intake Conversations
Pantry intake interviews, though potentially uncomfortable, are crucial for understanding client needs and connecting them with vital resources like FoodShare and WIC. Effective intake practices not only alleviate immediate hunger but also empower clients and strengthen pantries in the long run.
Guy Smith is Helping Plant Seeds of Change: Hunger Task Force and Milwaukee County Park’s Win-Win Partnership
Guy Smith has been a driving force in cultivating a healthier, more equitable Milwaukee by directly addressing food insecurity, promoting environmental stewardship and fostering vibrant community centers through parks. His leadership played a pivotal role in bridging the gap between Hunger Task Force’s vision and Milwaukee County’s resources.