House of Peace and Hunger Task Force Partner to Make the Back-to-School Season More Affordable for Families Living in or on the Verge of Poverty

Aug 24, 2026

According to a Good Morning America poll, 68% of parents surveyed reported that the back-to-school items they normally purchase are move expensive this year than they were last year. For families living in or on the verge of poverty, the added financial strain can impact monthly food budgets.

Hunger Task Force has been providing free fresh and nonperishable food to House of Peace for more than 33 years. As costs continue to increase for back-to-school necessities in addition to medication and household expenses – rent, utilities and groceries – more households are relying on House of Peace to shop the free food pantry for the healthy and culturally diverse groceries they need.

“Families are trying to balance their finances somehow. They buy a lot of school supplies and different things for the school year and then they don’t have much left over to buy food at the store,” said Armondo Diaz, director of House of Peace. “When we request food from Hunger Task Force, we’re able to get items delivered to us for free that our guests love like canned green beans, kidney beans, mixed vegetables and corn and fresh vegetables and fruits like collard greens, tomatoes, lettuce and apples from the Hunger Task Force Farm.”

To make selecting fresh produce from Hunger Task Force easier for people visiting the pantry, Armondo and his team recently introduced vegetable racks that are placed in the organization’s lobby. There, guests can select the fresh vegetables they’d like to take home to enjoy during a meal.

“The racks restore the dignity factor because they help clients feel like they’re shopping in a grocery store and can pick the produce they want without limitations,” adds Armondo.

The House of Peace is providing more emergency food than ever before – serving an additional 20-30 households every weekday. To meet the rising community need, Hunger Task Force has fulfilled emergency orders to ensure shelves are consistently stocked with healthy foods. In addition, Hunger Task Force provides the opportunity for emergency food network partners – like House of Peace – to pick up additional fresh fruits and vegetables from the food bank at no cost twice per week.

“We’re welcoming more older children who are shopping for their parents – and family – because their parents need to work and cannot visit the food pantry during the day,” shares Armondo.

House of Peace is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1:00 – 3:15 p.m. and serves individuals and families living in the 53205, 53206 and 53233 Zip Codes.

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 individuals, older adults 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.