Zachary Staszewski is Not Only Our Creative & Marketing Manager but Also a Hunger Advocate

Zachary Staszewski joined the team at Hunger Task Force four years ago eager to make a difference in the Milwaukee community he’s proud to call home.

“When I came across this role at Hunger Task Force, what immediately sparked my interest was the opportunity to write, tell stories and really lean into the creative skill set I had developed on the side of my other jobs,“ says Zachary. “This role gave me the chance to really invest in that creativity full-time. I was excited to build out our blog, bring more in-house design and media capabilities to the team and have more control over the visual and narrative brand of Hunger Task Force. The fact that the organization was finally creating a role specifically to internalize that work told me there was room to make a real impact.”

In the years he’s been with Hunger Task Force, Zachary has been pivotal in the brand’s transformation. Just mere weeks into his new role, he helped implement Hunger Task Force’s new branding by working with a designer to finalize concepts and identify a roll out plan.

“That timing was huge. Hunger Task Force was not only launching a refreshed visual identity, but we were also preparing to move into our headquarters on Electric Avenue. I had the opportunity to help build our new brand presence from the ground up – both online and physically in our new space,” adds Zachary. “I took ownership of how we applied the brand—through logos, signage and communications materials—and helped develop consistency and clarity in how we present ourselves to the public. Being able to shape the visual and narrative identity of the organization during such a foundational moment was really rewarding.”

Over the past four years, Zachary has helped redefine what’s possible for a two-person communications team. Alongside Kate Kazan, Communications & PR Manager, he’s brought video, photography, storytelling and graphic design fully in-house—something few nonprofit organizations of Hunger Task Force’s size can claim.

“We do a lot with very little,” Zachary says. “Almost every campaign image, video, and graphic is created here in-house. We don’t rely on agencies. We rely on our skills and our understanding of the people we serve.”

Zachary, alongside Kate, crafts communications that resonate with a variety of audiences from clients to donors and anti-hunger advocates. As a storyteller, Zachary ensures he clearly sees all sides of the work. In his four years with the agency, he’s learned so much about food insecurity, agriculture, federal nutrition programs, nonprofit operations and community development. In fact, he believes he’s become a more informed and compassionate professional because of his knowledge.

Before joining the team at Hunger Task Force, Zachary was not aware of the prevalence of hunger in Milwaukee.

“This job opened my eyes to the reality of poverty in our city—especially for kids” Zachary shares. “I had assumed that children were fed at school and that families, in general, had access to what they needed. But that’s just not true for everyone. The work we do directly affects whether someone has food in their pantry, understands how to access their SNAP benefits or knows how to cook the produce grown with care at The Hunger Task Force Farm. It’s real, and it matters.”

What’s also been eye-opening for Zachary is learning what sets Hunger Task Force apart – the unwavering commitment to free and local. Hunger Task Force is the only food bank in Milwaukee that provides food free of charge.

As Hunger Task Force gears up for another busy summer of fighting hunger, Zachary is as motivated as ever to make sure the organization’s work is seen, heard and understood.

“This isn’t a corporate job,” he says. “The work we do affects people’s real lives. And that makes every story we tell worth telling.”

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.