My First Food Sort

You’re standing on the edge of a long conveyor belt. You look up at the sign above you. You are “Canned Vegetables.” The belt turns on, and the biggest pile of canned green beans you’ve ever seen is coming at you. You get ready; your palms sweat. But suddenly, as you start grabbing cans, you realize how much fun you’re having! It’s your first food sort, and you’re helping build the boxes of food that will feed Milwaukee. Read on to learn about the adventures and experiences of first-time food sorters…then sign up to volunteer to become a Hunger Task Force food sort legend!

UWM Student Volunteers
Jump Right In

On July 14, 2010, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Volunteerism and Student Leadership sent a group of food sorting first timers to Hunger Task Force. For a rookie group, there is always a bit of uncertainty of what to expect when a 50 foot conveyor belt is staring you down in a large sort room. But these students enthusiastically jumped right in.

For Angela Yost and Craig Wiroll, food sorting was all about the pace and working together. Yost thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of catching all the canned soups that came shooting down the belt, and Wiroll was amazed at the amount of team work required to make sure no cans were missed. “Communication was very important, and I was surprised how fast we were able to sort the food after it was placed on the belt,” he said.

The large sorting room and conveyor belt didn’t surprise Cristina Miller—she had some past experience working in shipping and receiving, and it felt “natural” for her to be stationed by the canned vegetables, one of the busier stations on the belt. However, the wide variety of food coming through on the belt was eye-opening to her, and she noted she was already busy thinking about how she could encourage other people to give so that the hungry have access to the same variety of food as everyone else.

Liz Treutel—who was also enjoying the quick pace by sorting canned vegetables—was surprised to see how much food is actually donated. “I was very surprised about how many children face poverty and hunger issues in our city,” she said. “But it was nice to see how many people donate, and how much food there is out there.”

At the end of their three hour sort, these volunteer students sorted through an impressive 24,000 pounds of food! And more importantly, they came away from the experience with new perspective and excitement about spreading the word. “By taking part in a food sort, you realize what a huge problem hunger is in Milwaukee, and you want to make sure others in the community feel the same way,” said Wiroll.

Thank you, UWM!

Go Getters Go At It

When: February 6, 2010

Who: Marquette University Go-Getters

College students getting up early on a Saturday morning? It’s no myth, because the Marquette University Go Getters—a student-run business club—were at Hunger Task Force bright and early on February 6 to participate in their first food sort.

Being a first time group, some of the students were not quite sure what to expect. Some students thought they would be working in a small food pantry environment, while others expected a quiet room where they would fill boxes with food in a “slow process.” They were a little bit surprised when they saw a giant warehouse with food stacked to the ceilings and a large sort room fully equipped with a 50 foot conveyor belt.

Faye Telecky was one of the surprised, although she admitted a tinge of excitement when the first wave of peanut butter came at her. “It surprised me how fast-paced the process was, and how important teamwork became,” said Telecky. “I was also helping those sorting canned vegetables and dinner protein…it was really exciting each time we got a huge pile to sort through!”

After finding her rhythm at the fruit station, Colleen McDonnell also noticed how many different items were coming through on the belt. “What surprised me the most was the variety of items that people donate to Hunger Task Force…the food sort helped me to realize that people don’t just need or want basic food—they want to have a variety of foods just like the rest of us.”

As the students quickly went from rookies to a well-oiled food sorting machine, their perceptions about the food sort and Milwaukee’s hunger problem really came into focus. “Obviously, with the recession hitting Milwaukee hard there has been an increase in the demand for these food pantries,” said JP Seral. “Looking at the enormous amount of food that we sorted at Hunger Task Force, I really gained a better appreciation of the need that is out there and how generous the giving is,” added Joel Mishork.

By the end of the sort, the Go Getters truly lived up to their name. They sorted 27,000 pounds of food in just under 3 hours, and many were anxious to come back and do it again. Their hard work and enthusiasm truly made a difference for many families in Milwaukee. Thank you Go Getters!