The Jewish Community Pantry and Hunger Task Force Have Partnered to Stop Summer Hunger Together Since 1993
For 32 years, Hunger Task Force and the Jewish Community Pantry, a program of the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, have partnered to stop summer hunger in Milwaukee by providing an abundant selection of perishable and nonperishable healthy foods for Milwaukee residents free of charge. Since the partnership began, Hunger Task Force has provided more than 3.4 million pounds of food to feed children, families and seniors in the Amani and Metcalfe Park communities who are served by the Jewish Community Pantry.
“We see an influx of guests over the summer – especially once students are out of school,” says Heidi Gould, Director of the Jewish Community Pantry. “On average, we serve 200 households per week. In the summer, closer to 250 households visit our pantry for food assistance each week.”
According to research from Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), just shy of 400,000 students participated in free and reduced-priced school breakfast and lunch programs in Wisconsin last school year.
“For parents, it’s challenging to transition from their child or children getting fed most of the day at school to having to source two meals per day on a fixed income,” adds Heidi. “We see many families that visit us for the first time over the summer when their need for food assistance is so high because they cannot stretch their finances to put enough food on the table for meals let alone supply healthy snacks for their growing child or children.”
The Jewish Community Pantry receives culturally diverse and healthy food free of charge from Hunger Task Force to meet not only the dietary preferences of guests but supply them with the nutrients they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. All food received from Hunger Task Force falls into one of five categories – fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains and protein. By only providing food from these groups, clients choose the right healthy foods for their households.
Additionally, Hunger Task Force provides fresh produce from the Hunger Task Force Farm in Franklin, Wisconsin, to the Jewish Community Pantry to distribute to families and seniors absolutely free of charge. On the Farm, more than 70 varieties of 28 different crops are grown to ensure a well-rounded selection for those in need.
“During the summer, we go through all of the fresh produce received from Hunger Task Force in one shift – and sometimes even earlier,” adds Heidi. “Many of the seniors and families we serve would not have any other access to fresh produce if not for our pantry. Over the summer, families are so appreciative of fresh fruit because kids can snack on it during the day. We also see a high demand for collard greens, mustard greens, corn and bell peppers from the Hunger Task Force Farm.”
When children visit the pantry with their parents or guardians, Jewish Community Pantry staff work to educate them on what’s in the pantry and why it’s good for them to eat. The pantry is open on Tuesday from 4 – 6 p.m., Thursday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and the third and fourth Sunday of the month from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The pantry is located at 2900 W. Center Street.
Hunger Task Force is the only food bank in Milwaukee that does not charge for food, delivery or network membership and works diligently to ensure seniors and families can receive emergency food with dignity, on the day they need it and in the neighborhood they live in.
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.