For all media inquiries, please contact Kate Kazan, Communications & PR Manager.

Kate Kazan

Communications & PR Manager

[email protected]

t:414.238.6461 | m:414.588.5416

RECENT NEWS

Hunger Task Force Hosts Summer Meals Kickoff at Stark Playfield on June 25

Hunger Task Force, alongside key local partners, will kick off the Milwaukee Summer Meals Program at Stark Playfield. This summer, kids and teens (18 and under) are invited to visit one of 180 sites throughout Milwaukee County for nutritious and delicious summer meals.

Summer 2025 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 this seasonal 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 Summer 2025 Newsletter

Click to explore this convenient, digital version of the newest Hunger Task Force Newsletter! Read about Hunger Task Force’s work advocating for local families, our work at The Farm, updates from our food bank and more information on ways you can support our efforts to end hunger for our neighbors in need.

Hunger Task Force Hosts Public Distribution of Senior Farmers’ Market Vouchers

Hunger Task Force staff and volunteers will register Milwaukee-area low-income seniors up for the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and distribute $25 in vouchers to each participant. The vouchers can be exchanged for healthy foods at farmers’ markets and community supported agriculture programs this summer to improve access to healthy foods for low-income seniors.

Hunger Task Force Farm keeps families fed despite federal funding cuts

The Hunger Task Force Farm in Franklin is kicking off their growing season, determined to help those in need despite federal funding cuts against food programs. In a quiet, rural part of Franklin, Wisconsin lies 200 acres dedicated to feeding southeast Wisconsin’s most vulnerable.

Food box program brings a taste of Indigenous culture to tribal elders in Milwaukee

Hunger Task Force’s Tribal Elder Traditional Food Box program delivers Indigenous foods to 815 tribal elders in Milwaukee, helping families reclaim culture and support Native producers.

Growing US consumption of ultra-processed foods raises concerns about health harms

Hunger Task Force’s Mobile Market delivers fresh, affordable food to Milwaukee neighborhoods, offering a solution as ultra-processed food consumption fuels rising health risks nationwide.

Hunger Task Force Spring 2025 Newsletter

Click to explore this convenient, digital version of the newest Hunger Task Force Newsletter! Read about Hunger Task Force’s work advocating for local families, our work at The Farm, updates from our food bank and more information on ways you can support our efforts to end hunger for our neighbors in need.

How One Milwaukee Food Bank Is Handling the Drop in USDA Funding

Matt King, CEO of Hunger Task Force, discusses the challenges of meeting food needs in his city after two rounds of federal funding cuts in March.

Spring 2025 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 this seasonal 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 News & Features

Bay View Community Center Food Pantry Expands Fresh Offerings Through Gardening

The Bay View Community Center (BVCC) Food Pantry, a long-time partner of the Hunger Task Force, serves over 300 households each month. While the gardens at BVCC are a recent addition, offering fresh food has always been a priority for the center’s food pantry. Fresh produce and herbs from the BVCC gardens are distributed through the food pantry and a roadside stand outside the center.

Sprouting Healthy Habits: Garden-to-Plate Program Nurtures Young Chefs

Summertime is here, and Hunger Task Force is celebrating the incredible success of our Garden-to-Plate program! This year, the program reached 356 students across 14 classrooms in the West Allis-West Milwaukee and Milwaukee Public Schools districts. With a focus on MyPlate lessons and interactive learning, students learned about healthy eating and cooking through classroom visits, kitchen practice, and hands-on gardening.

Hunger Task Force Receives $20,650 Donation From Cousins Subs

Cousins Subs generously donated $20,650 through the Block Out Hunger Campaign to Hunger Task Force to help feed children and families experiencing hunger in the Milwaukee Community. Through the campaign, Cousins Subs, through its Make It Better Foundation, donates $50 to Hunger Task Force for every block the Milwaukee Bucks have during the regular season.

Partner of the Month: Clinton & Bernice Rose Senior Center

Hunger Task Force is proud to name Clinton & Bernice Rose Senior Center our Partner of the Month for June 2024. This collaboration offers nutritious food options through programs like Stockbox and Farmers Market vouchers, along with social activities and a welcoming environment.

Michael Jonas Has Overseen Food Bank Operations for 15 Years

Hunger Task Force, Milwaukee’s only Free & Local food bank, ensures nutritious food reaches families and seniors in need. Led by Food Bank Director Michael Jonas, the organization has significantly improved food distribution and service quality over the past 15 years.

Volunteer of the Month: Julie Nichols

Each month Hunger Task Force is honored to recognize an individual or group who go above and beyond in their service to the organization. From food sorting and building healthy food boxes for seniors to helping individuals shop the Mobile Market and harvesting at The Farm, volunteers help Hunger Task Force feed people today and support our work in ending future hunger.

Farm-to-Food Bank: How Hunger Task Force Farm Combats Food Insecurity in Milwaukee

The Hunger Task Force Farm is not your average farm. While we certainly grow a bounty of fresh, delicious produce, our primary crop is healthy food access. Over the growing season, with the help of nearly 6,000 incredible volunteers, we harvest over half a million pounds of fruits and vegetables that find their way directly to families and seniors facing food insecurity in Milwaukee.

Summer 2024 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 this seasonal 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 Delivers Farm-to-Shelf Produce

It’s a typical spring afternoon in Wisconsin at the Hunger Task Force farm, where fresh produce and community efforts thrive. From innovative hoop houses to dedicated volunteers, learn how this farm is making a difference in food security and setting a national standard for food banks.

Partner of the Month: Milwaukee Jewish Day School

Hunger Task Force recognizes Milwaukee Jewish Day School (MJDS) as Partner of the Month for May 2024. Fifth to eighth-grade students from MJDS performed a mitzvah, volunteering at the Hunger Task Force Farm and West Milwaukee headquarters. Nearly 60 students and teachers sorted 7,000 pounds of healthy food donations, packed 80 Stockboxes for low-income seniors, and helped steward natural areas.

Hunger Task Force is Ensuring Senior Nutrition and Well-Being in a Post-Pandemic Economy

In February 2023, Wisconsin families and seniors faced a reduction in their FoodShare benefits due to the end of the federal program providing additional assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over a year later, the end of these benefits meant a significant loss in purchasing power for many Wisconsinites, including 85-year-old Greendale resident Judith Juszczyski.

The Black Panthers, Joe Ellwanger and the founding of the Hunger Task Force

In Milwaukee, Joe Ellwanger, a former civil rights leader, was approached by the Panthers to host a school breakfast program at his church. Ellwanger and others formed Citizens for Central City School Breakfast Program, which achieved its goal. The group later became Hunger Task Force, a major Wisconsin anti-hunger nonprofit.

Why You Should Sign Up for Voices Against Hunger to Help Eliminate Hunger in Wisconsin

Hunger Task Force recently relaunched Voices Against Hunger – our citizen advocacy group – to create a space to advocate together to promote social policies to end future hunger. Joining Voices Against Hunger is a quick, impactful way to influence effective anti-hunger public policy. We sat down with Reno Wright, our Advocacy Director, for a quick discussion about the Voices Against Hunger and the benefits of being a member.

U.S. Army Reserve and Milwaukee Police Department Host Ruck March Benefiting Hunger Task Force

For the fifth consecutive year, reservists and police officers are helping keep our Milwaukee neighbors fed with their Annual 10K Ruck March! Thank you to the U.S. Army Reserve Alpha Company 3-334 Drill Sergeant Unit and Milwaukee Police Department for making the journey from the District 3 Police Department to Merrill Park on foot during their annual Ruck March. They collected and marched over 2,850 lbs. of food for local seniors, families and kids.

Jon Janowski is a Champion for School Breakfast and the Former Advocacy Director at Hunger Task Force

During his tenure at Hunger Task Force as Advocacy Director, Jon Janowski developed a best-in-class advocacy program that emphasized school breakfast. During his 16-year career at Hunger Task Force, Jon hired and trained more than 16 fellows including Matt King who is the current Associate Director of Hunger Task Force. Jon currently serves as the Executive Director of The Neighborhood House, which is a part of the Hunger Task Force network.

Volunteer of the Month: Don Driver

Each month Hunger Task Force is honored to recognize an individual or group who go above and beyond in their service to the organization. From food sorting and building healthy food boxes for seniors to helping individuals shop the Mobile Market and harvesting at The Farm, volunteers help Hunger Task Force feed people today and support our work in ending future hunger.

FoodShare Advocate Mar Mar Lin Lends a Helping Hand to Milwaukee’s APIDA Community

Mar Mar Lin, a FoodShare Advocate at Hunger Task Force, understands the struggles of newcomers in Milwaukee all too well. Within the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) community, cultural norms around self-reliance and shame can make it difficult for people to seek help. Through her work, Mar Mar combats the complex issues surrounding food insecurity within the APIDA community, ensuring that cultural norms and language barriers don’t prevent anyone from accessing vital resources.

Meet the Team Leading 15,000 Volunteers Each Year at Hunger Task Force

Our Volunteer Team is a dynamic force, committed to empowering and mobilizing volunteers in various capacities. From recruitment and training to coordinating opportunities for corporate groups and local organizations to make a meaningful impact, we ensure that every volunteer feels valued and equipped to contribute effectively.

How Sherrie Tussler Of Hunger Task Force Is Helping To Address The Growing Challenge Of Food Insecurity

Sherrie Tussler is the Chief Executive Officer of Hunger Task Force. She has led the organization since 1997 — a time when Milwaukee was experiencing record hunger. Hunger Task Force works to prevent hunger and malnutrition by providing food to people in need today and advocates for policies that will help achieve a hunger-free community in the future. Tussler has remained steadfast in her goal — to defend people against hunger.

Hunger Task Force Spring 2024 Newsletter now available online

Click to explore this convenient, digital version of the Hunger Task Force Spring 2024 Newsletter! Read about new culturally familiar foods at The Farm, a conversation with Sherrie Tussler and incoming CEO Matt King, Milwaukee’s unique downtown meal site, how we’re providing seniors dignified access to healthy food and more!

Grocery store on wheels makes rounds in Milwaukee County

The Mobile Market is a smaller-scale grocery store. It’s not a food pantry, instead the market is open to everyone. Anyone can show up and shop. The market follows a set schedule and makes stops at various locations around Milwaukee County.

Brian McCarty Hopes to Inspire Other Medical Professionals to Give Back

Brian McCarty isn’t waiting on the world to change. Instead, he is investing his knowledge and resources into the community and encouraging others to do the same. He donated $500,000 to create the McCarty Education Kitchen – a highlight of the new Hunger Task Force headquarters.