Reenie Kavalar Increases Access to Fresh Produce For Families in Need

The Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun Salinsky Program to Feed the Hungry has been a supporter of Hunger Task Force since the program’s inception in 2011. Throughout the years, the program has provided funding for the Summer Meals program by purchasing healthy foods for snack packs that were assembled by temple congregants and religious school students and distributed to thousands of children receiving free meals throughout the Milwaukee community. This year, the program increased its support of Hunger Task Force by making its largest ever single donation of $65,000 to the Hunger Task Force Farm to Food Bank Fund.

Hunger Task Force recently launched the Farm to Food Bank Fund, which is 100% community supported, to support local agriculture by purchasing a diverse array of fresh produce, that is not grown at the Hunger Task Force Farm, from local, minority farmers that appeals to the many cultural and dietary preferences of the children, families, seniors and veterans served through the local food network.

The fund was started after the federal government terminated the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) in March. Last year, Hunger Task Force purchased and delivered $250,000 worth of protein and fresh produce through the program and was set to make a similar purchase for this growing season. Knowing many impacted farmers had already bought their seeds for this growing season before the program was canceled, Hunger Task Force honored its commitment to local farmers and is further committed to continuing its support well into the future.

“It’s really important that we support our larger community so we can move people forward and break down barriers to healthy food,” said Reenie Kavalar, administrator of the Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun Salinsky Program to Feed the Hungry. “I am always seeking to provide community support by looking at who needs food and dedicating resources to support hunger relief efforts in whatever way we can.”

Reenie is a longtime volunteer at the Jewish Community Pantry, which is a part of Hunger Task Force’s food pantry network. She has always been impressed by the quantity and quality of food the pantry receives from Hunger Task Force and the organization’s advocacy efforts to influence federal and state policy and its nutrition education programming.

“When I heard about the funding cuts Hunger Task Force endured in March, I knew we had to help,” adds Reenie. “By supporting local agriculture, especially minority farmers, it’s a win-win-win all the way around for our farmers, pantries and community.”

A physical therapist by trade, Reenie knows firsthand how the food we eat affects our health and well-being. As a true “Friend of Free & Local,” she is proud of her work to ensure low-income residents in Milwaukee have access to nutritional food regardless of their ability to pay.

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