Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency Received a $75,000 Grant from Hunger Task Force to Purchase Healthy Foods for Area Food Pantries

The Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency (RKCAA) connects local food pantries with healthy and culturally diverse items to provide for individuals and families in need across the community. Through Hunger Task Force’s Connecting Farms to Families program, RKCAA received a $75,000 grant to purchase fresh food from Wisconsin producers to stock the shelves at food pantries the organization serves in Racine and Kenosha.

Through the grant, RKCAA supplied hundreds of pounds of healthy food to nine local organizations, which include Gateway Kenosha, Kenosha Area Family & Aging, Kenosha Welcome Center, Salvation Army Kenosha, Shalom Center, Sharing Center, Twin Lakes Food Pantry, Vivent Health and Women’s and Children’s Horizon.

“This grant allowed us to create different types of partnerships and relationships to get more food in the communities and build stronger relationships with our community pantries. We achieved this by supporting our local farmers, which was very important to us,” shares Ronald Tatum, CEO of RKCAA. “Because we were able to partner with different entities, we could have a presence in every area where a barrier exists whether that’s a transportation barrier or other type of barrier so people could access this nutritious food. That was the highlight for me.”

Through Connecting Farms to Families, RKCAA ordered 19 different types of produce including zucchini, eggs, fresh milk, beef and beef patties, pork chops and pork ribs, strawberries and strawberry jam.

“We saw a nearly 18% increase in traffic at the pantries we provided food to during the season of spending this grant. I am so grateful that we were able to impact our community and our local farmers when both are in an increased time of need,” adds Ron. “This initiative demonstrates that when we listen to the communities we serve, invest in Wisconsin farmers and bring committed partners together, we do more than distribute food. We strengthen families, remove barriers and build a more resilient community where access to nutritious food is not a privilege but a priority.”

Through Connecting Farms to Families, more than 230 emergency food providers received Wisconsin grown items to distribute to individuals and families absolutely free of charge to them. This program is made possible by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and Hunger Task Force’s generous donor community.

Hunger Task Force is Wisconsin’s anti-hunger leader and Free & Local food bank. 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.