Emergency Food
Need Food Now? – 211
If you or someone you know needs emergency food, please dial 2-1-1. To call using a cell phone or pay phone, dial 414-773-0211 or toll free 1-866-211-3380. An operator will help you locate the closest emergency food pantry and/or meal program in your area.
Emergency Food – Pantries, Meal Sites & Distributions
Hunger Task Force continues to plan for and accommodate food pantry and program closures and decreased access to emergency food as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Hunger Task Force has created a list of confirmed, trusted sites that continue to provide food safely and reliably.
The map below lists public senior Stockbox sites, school meal sites and outdoor emergency food distribution sites in Milwaukee. Search by zip code in the upper left hand corner to see a list of all the sites in your area. Then, click on individual sites to see details: days and times of service, type of program, etc.
This resource is updated daily. Check with your local community food pantry directly for hours of operation.
FoodShare
FoodShare is Wisconsin’s first line of defense against hunger. Called the Supplemental Nutrition Program or SNAP nationally, this federal program provides food buying power at the grocery store through an EBT card called Quest. Eligibility is based upon your household income and size. The program requires proof of income, expenses and household members.
Click the link below to find out more about the program, view a step by step tutorial that shows you the application process, and watch videos about how valuable FoodShare can be for you.
Looking for Help with Food?
Hunger Task Force is a food bank that supplies food to emergency food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters. We also partner with locations that provide school meals, distribute Stockboxes to seniors and help people sign up for FoodShare. Throughout the pandemic, Hunger Task Force has operated as an essential service.
Grocery stores will continue to be your first and best place to obtain food. Food pantries and Hunger Task Force services are for people with little or no money for food. Consider the following questions when wondering about food.
What is your need for emergency food today?
If you have food on hand in your home, you do not need emergency food. Shelter in place.
Do you have little or no food in your home?
If you have little or no food in your home, visit a food pantry. Check the map above to see which pantry is closest nearby.
If there are children in your home, you can also obtain school meals. Visit the map for schools offering “grab and go” school meals.
If there is a low-income adult age 60 or older in your home, they can receive a Stockbox. Check the map for drive-thru locations.
If you are recently unemployed, laid off, or have had your hours reduced, apply for FoodShare at www.access.wisconsin.gov. Do you not need to go to the welfare office; you may apply online.
Are you worried about running out of food?
Food pantries, soup kitchens, “grab and go” school meals and Hunger Task Force will continue to operate during this period. There is enough food to ensure Milwaukeeans stay fed.
Are you looking for homebound delivery?
Food pantries, soup kitchens and food banks do not provide homebound delivery. Ask yourself “Who normally helps me?” and contact them for help to get food picked up. You can shelter in place and provide a note allowing this individual to be a proxy for emergency food. Give this note to your support person for a drive-thru distribution or to pick-up a Stockbox and they can pick it up for you.