Helping people in need on the day they need help

Teresa's Story 
Teresa first contacted a local pantry years ago when she was recovering from burns received in a fire. She was out of work for over three months during her recovery, and had three sons to feed. Teresa lived in the same neighborhood of a local pantry where a friend referred her for help. There she met Ms. B, the pantry coordinator, who really listened to her as she shared her situation, and provided the supplemental food she needed for her family. Teresa remembered, “Ms. B was very supportive during a rough time in my life.”  Teresa went back to work, so she was once again able to provide for her family.

After a few years though, Teresa needed emergency food after the father of her children was incarcerated. She was working three jobs to make ends meet, but decided to cut back to two jobs so she could spend more time with her children during their formative years. “I always tell my kids to look at what they have, not what they don’t have.”  During this rough time in their lives, they appreciate the help they receive from their local pantry where they “care about you as a person. You’re not just a number; they take the time to listen.”


John's Story
John had always been a working man, but when Milwaukee County made cuts to trim the budget, he was laid off from his job, a layoff that lasted a year. As time went by, John found it increasing difficult to make ends meet and to put food on the table for himself and his 15 year old daughter. “It’s hard for a man to ask for help, but I had to think of my daughter,” so John found his way to an emergency food pantry on a few occasions when he had no other choice. When a part-time job with the food pantry became available, John applied for the job and was hired. “I was treated well when I came to the food pantry, and I wanted to give back for the services I received. I have patience with the people who come to the pantry because I know what it is like to go to bed hungry.” John was eventually called back by the County, so now he also works part-time for the Milwaukee County Park System at night. John says, “It feels good to help, especially when you see a smile on a kid’s face when the family receives a three-day supply of food.”


Enrique's Story
Enrique, Carlita and their three young daughters, Melinda, Sofia, and Rosita, are the faces of the “working poor.”  Enrique and his family moved to Milwaukee six years ago from Mexico City, Mexico. Enrique was fortunate to find a job to support his family and a place to live on Milwaukee’s south side. Carlita is careful with her spending, and budgets for rent, utilities, food and clothing, but some weeks, the pay check just doesn’t stretch far enough to feed a family of five. They heard about an emergency food pantry through a friend, where they received the additional food they needed to keep from going hungry.   Enrique, who has no health insurance, was hospitalized last December which added to his financial worries. They are still trying to pay off the medical bills, so they rely on the food pantry even more to make ends meet. Although they are poor by many people’s standards, they occasionally try to help other struggling families from their church by inviting them to share a meal with their family.