For all media inquiries, please contact Kate Kazan, Communications & PR Manager.
RECENT NEWS
Hunger Task Force News & Features
Pantry returns to indoor service, allowing clients to select their own food with dignity
In addition to returning to indoor service, One God Ministry embraced food choice – a service model they had initiated before the pandemic. The choice-model allows pantry guests to select culturally appropriate foods, meet individual health and dietary needs and select foods that are familiar and enjoyed just as they would in a grocery store.
Stockbox DoorDash program celebrates 10,000th delivery
Since July 2021, Hunger Task Force has partnered with DoorDash and United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County to provide nutritious food to seniors living in Milwaukee and Waukesha County through the Stockbox DoorDash program. The Stockbox is a free, monthly box of food for income-eligible seniors age 60+.
Meet the new faces of Hunger Task Force
The principal strength of Hunger Task Force is its compassionate and committed staff. This month, Hunger Task Force is proud to announce the addition of three new faces to our Operations, Warehouse and Administration teams. We are thrilled to welcome Lisa, Roual and Nick to Hunger Task Force.
Stamp Out Hunger returns with online option to support letter carriers’ drive for 2022
After being cancelled the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation’s largest single-day food drive returned this month. The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Stamp Out Hunger campaign, ordinarily the second Saturday in May, is happening right now – virtually! Founded in the mid-1990s by the NALC, Stamp Out Hunger was created in response to the poverty letter carriers saw each day through their service routes.
Hunger Task Force celebrates another season of Block Out Hunger with Cousins Subs and the Bucks
For the seventh consecutive season, Cousins Subs and the Milwaukee Bucks teamed up to fight hunger across the state of Wisconsin through the Block Out Hunger campaign. For every shot blocked by the Bucks during the 2021-22 regular season, Cousins Subs donated $50 to Hunger Task Force. As a result of the Milwaukee Bucks blocking 326 shots, Cousin Subs donated $16,300 to provide nutritious foods, including milk, to the nearly 50,000 Milwaukee residents served each month by Hunger Task Force.
Meet the new faces of Hunger Task Force
The principal strength of Hunger Task Force is its compassionate and committed staff. This month, Hunger Task Force is proud to announce the addition of three new faces to our Food, Farm and Development teams. We are thrilled to welcome Afi, Chris and Shahree to Hunger Task Force.
Spring 2022 Nutrition Education Quarterly available online
Hunger Task Force doesn’t just feed people in our community – we help along their health journeys, too. Hunger Task Force offers a robust Nutrition Education Program committed to providing useful tools to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Check out the Spring 2022 edition of our Nutrition Education Quarterly. Explore this seasonal publication for helpful tips on healthy eating, cooking skills, budget-friendly shopping and ways to fit physical activity in your day.
Hunger Task Force Spring 2022 Newsletter now available online
Explore this convenient, digital version of the Hunger Task Force Spring 2022 Newsletter! Read about the exciting move to our new West Milwaukee headquarters, Harley-Davidson’s renewed commitment to The Farm, Hunger Task Force’s growing FoodShare outreach efforts, the launch of the Badger Box and more!
Palermo’s Pizza and Hunger Task Force Host “Easter Baskets for the Hungry”
Palermo’s Pizza again partnered with Hunger Task Force for the annual Easter Baskets for the Hungry program. Hunger Task Force worked with its local pantry network to identify 500 families in need who will be recipients of the Easter Boxes and coordinated a drive-thru distribution at the new West Milwaukee headquarters.
Hunger Task Force launches “Badger Box” featuring Wisconsin-made foods
Hunger Task Force has been chosen to administer $15 million in federal grant funds to build a stronger, hunger-free Wisconsin. These funds will be used to create, fill and distribute a food box called the Badger Box containing dairy products, cheeses, meats, fruits and grains purchased from Wisconsin farmers and food producers. Over 18,000 Badger Boxes will be distributed monthly through December across the state of Wisconsin.
Hunger Task Force and Kohl’s Team Up for First-Ever “Combo Build”
Kohl’s Department Stores and Hunger Task Force have a longstanding partnership. Today, a team of 50+ volunteers from Kohl’s participated the first-ever Stockbox/Food Sort “Combo Build” at the food bank’s massive new Volunteer Action Center. Over the course of an afternoon, Kohl’s volunteers simultaneously built over 500 Stockboxes and sorted over 20,000 pounds of food.
Winter 2022 Nutrition Education Quarterly available online
Hunger Task Force doesn’t just feed people in our community – we help along their health journeys, too. Hunger Task Force offers a robust Nutrition Education Program committed to providing useful tools to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Check out the Winter 2022 edition of our Nutrition Education Quarterly – prepared in English, Spanish and Hmong. Explore this seasonal publication for helpful tips on healthy eating, cooking skills, budget-friendly shopping and ways to fit physical activity in you day.
Nutrition cubed, plus cheese
Every month, under the CSFP, the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee, an organization driven by its mission to combat hunger on all fronts, distributes nearly 10,000 Stockboxes to low-income seniors in participating counties across the state. While not a new program statewide or nationally, it is only in its second month of operation in the Langlade County area.
Hunger Task Force Farm 2021 Harvest Report now available online
2021 was a record-breaking year at The Farm with over 500,000 lbs. of locally-grown fruits and vegetables harvested and distributed to Milwaukee’s hungry, providing an important source of healthy nutrition for thousands in our community.
Hunger Task Force celebrates school nutrition teams during National School Breakfast Week
March 7-11 is National School Breakfast Week, and we are celebrating the incredible school nutrition staff across Wisconsin and their commitment to ensuring that students start their day well fed and ready to learn.
Sargento doubles donor support during Match Madness
Match Madness is a community-wide fundraising event in support of local hunger relief. All donations made to Hunger Task Force between March 1 – 10 will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, by a group of generous local donors including Sargento, the Brian A. McCarty Family Fund, Zurn Water Solutions and several others.
Hunger Task Force Completes Transition to New Local Headquarters
Hunger Task Force has fully moved its food bank and operations to a new headquarters at 5000 W. Electric Avenue in West Milwaukee. The 120,000-square-foot facility will now serve as the single, central site for all Hunger Task Force’s operations, including emergency food distribution, volunteerism, food donations, advocacy and community engagement.
Applying for or receiving SNAP does not affect immigration status
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security want to make sure that everyone who qualifies for nutrition assistance gets that help. Applying for or receiving SNAP does not make you a public charge and will not affect immigration status.
A Conversation with Matt Stienstra, FoodShare Program Manager
In preparation for relaunching a Voices Against Hunger newsletter, we sat down with Matt Stienstra, FoodShare Program Manager and former Advocacy Campaign Manager at Hunger Task Force. Matt discusses the importance of FoodShare and shares advice for accepting the responsibility of taking on and leading a citizen advocacy group.
Hunger Task Force 2021 Annual Report now available online
Explore this convenient, digital version of the Hunger Task Force 2021 Annual Report! Hunger Task Force is on a mission. We feed people today and we end hunger tomorrow. Learn more about our work last year, our ongoing programs and some of the biggest wins from 2021 in our Annual Report!
Friedens Operations Manager uses past work experience at Hunger Task Force to amplify impact at pantry sites
Aleka Shewczyk is no stranger to anti-hunger work in Milwaukee. Before stepping into the Operations Manager role at Freidens Community Ministries, Aleka worked at Hunger Task Force as a Farmer and Volunteer Coordinator from 2017-2021. She’s continuing to feed Milwaukee neighbors in her new role using skills gained at Hunger Task Force.
Neighborhood House of Milwaukee serves guests with dignity utilizing ‘client choice pantry’ model
Early in 2020, the closure of a long-standing pantry in the Near West Side neighborhood left a noticeable gap in access to healthy food for residents of this Milwaukee community. To address this need, Neighborhood House of Milwaukee partnered with Hunger Task Force to add a walk-up, full-choice pantry to their operations.
Afghan families receive familiar foods from Hunger Task Force
Hunger Task Force is collaborating with the Hanan Refugee Relief Group and Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition to provide customized, culturally-appropriate food boxes to relocated Afghan guests. Culturally appropriate food boxes were delivered to 65 Afghan families who were relocated from Ft. McCoy to Milwaukee.
Hunger Task Force and Marieke Gouda awarded Farm to Food Bank Project Funding
In November 2021, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the award of more than $7.5 million in funding to Farm to Food Bank Projects for 2022. While funding will support organizations across 29 states and territories, Hunger Task Force – and partner Marieke Gouda – are the sole project from the state of Wisconsin receiving funds.
Nutrition Education Team shares favorite holiday recipes
The holiday season is often filled with time-honored traditions that include some of our favorite meals and foods. Our Nutrition Education Team put together some of their favorite simple holiday traditions and recipes to share. We hope you enjoy them – and maybe build some new traditions of your own!
Touchdowns for Hunger celebrates 19th season: Packers WR Valdes-Scantling attends virtual tailgate and Sargento presents $57,300 donation
Touchdowns for Hunger is in its 19th season and has raised more than $1.5 million. On Tuesday, Dec. 21, Sargento Foods Inc., in partnership with the Green Bay Packers, presented a donation to Hunger Task Force as part of the annual Touchdowns for Hunger program.
Hunger Next Door photo exhibit continues tour through Wisconsin communities
Hunger Next Door is a Hunger Task Force photo project that illustrates the reality of hunger in our community. While the project debuted back in 2014, the photo exhibit has been steadily in rotation for the last seven years and has been seen by countless community members, students, civic leaders, legislators and anti-hunger partners along the way.
Potawatomi’s Heart of Canal Street gifts $100,000 to Hunger Task Force and other organizations
Hunger Task Force was joined by four local organizations – Running Rebels, Digital Bridge, Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center and Journey House – to receive donations for outstanding service to children and families during the pandemic. Each received a generous $100,000 gift from Heart of Canal Street. In all, more than half a million dollars were distributed through the program this season.
Raymond James’ Gary Sievewright discusses corporate engagement and personal commitment to Hunger Task Force
Early in his finance career, Gary Sievewright was taught by a mentor that you work hard, and you give back to your community. Now, as Senior Vice President of Investments and Complex Manager for Wisconsin at Raymond James & Associates, Sievewright has continued to live his live by this code. His passion for anti-hunger work has led him to be a vocal corporate advocate for Hunger Task Force for nearly 15 years.
Hunger Task Force Winter 2021 Newsletter now available online
Explore this convenient, digital version of the Hunger Task Force Winter 2021 Newsletter! Read about the commitment to diversity and assuring inclusion at our two FoodShare resource centers, the return of the annual Home 4 The Holidays and Lend a Helping Ham programs, an update to our Mobile Market discount and winter plans at the Hunger Task Force Farm.
Volunteer couple enjoys range of opportunities to serve at Hunger Task Force
Pat and Jay Mierendorf have served with Hunger Task Force for nearly 30 years. The pair choose to live by the mantra of: There are two kinds of people in the world – 1) those that need help and 2) those that give help. “Since we don’t need help right now,” shares Pat, “we want to be the people that give help.”
Hunger Task Force Mobile Market featured nationally on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt
Hunger Task Force and our Mobile Market partnership with Piggly Wiggly was featured nationally on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt on Wednesday, November 24, 2021. We are excited to share this “grocery store on wheels” model more broadly and are steadfast in our commitment to providing fresh options to food deserts – areas with limited access to affordable and healthy foods.
Student DoorDash Program provides students learning remotely with nutritious home-delivery meal boxes
Hunger Task Force, in partnership with United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County and DoorDash, recently launched the Student DoorDash Program – a pilot program providing weekly deliveries of non-perishable food items to families with students in the WAWM Deeper Learning Virtual Academy.
Hunger Task Force rolls out Stockbox program to new Wisconsin county with aid of delivery “spokes-person”
Hunger Task Force recently began partnering with Trevor Roark, Owner and Piot of Curbwise LLC – a bicycle-powered delivery service – to “roll out” the new Stevens Point delivery area for the Senior Stockbox Program. Now, Roark will be pedaling on each month through all kinds of weather, providing seniors with the most important necessity – healthy food from Hunger Task Force.
Stories of Those Who Served: Hunger Task Force Honors Veterans
November 11 is Veterans Day, and Hunger Task Force honors those who are serving, or have served, in the Armed Forces. In line with our core values – Justice, Compassion, Stewardship and Justice – Hunger Task Force extends our deepest gratitude to clients, staff, donors and volunteers who have served our country.