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Hunger Task Force News & Features
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.
Fue Xiong Increases Access to Healthy Food for Limited English Proficiency Residents on Milwaukee’s North Side
Fifteen years ago, Fue Xiong joined the Hunger Task Force FoodShare team to ensure low-income residents of Milwaukee understand how to apply for and maintain FoodShare benefits and connect them to other federal nutrition programs for which they may qualify.
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.
From Classroom to Community: Child Nutrition Educator Inspires Healthy Choices in Local Schools
Through the Garden-to-Plate program, the Child Nutrition Educator travels to local schools, teaching valuable nutrition lessons. This initiative specifically targets low-income youth – equipping them with the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices on a budget – and allows them to connect with the source of their food.
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.
150 Kohl’s volunteers simultaneously build 600 Stockboxes and sort 20,000 pounds of food
Hunger Task Force and Kohl’s continued to build on their long-standing partnership to reduce food insecurity in Milwaukee by partnering on a “Double-Double.” This larger scale event featured a team of 150 enthusiastic Kohl’s volunteers simultaneously building 600 Stockboxes and sorting over 20,000 pounds of healthy food.
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.
Barb Notestein Mobilized Communities and Brought School Breakfast to Milwaukee’s Children
Barb Notestein’s career has been defined by her unwavering dedication to advocating for public policy initiatives aimed at feeding families and children in Milwaukee. In 1978, she was named the organization’s second Executive Director. She held the role until she left the organization in 1984.
Quadracci Family Supports Hunger Relief Through a Legacy of Generational Giving
Driven by Betty and Harry Quadraccis’ commitment to a thriving community, the family’s longstanding support for Hunger Task Force exemplifies their deep commitment to the well-being of their community, extending far beyond their prominent contributions to education, community development and the arts.
Wisconsin will replace FoodShare aid when outages spoil food, but filing requests isn’t easy
The federal government funds FoodShare through its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. It allows states to replace funds for households that lose food to misfortunes like refrigerator malfunctions, power outages or flooding. Nearly 26,000 FoodShare households in Wisconsin received $3.1 million in replacement benefits between December 2022 and November 2023. That’s far less than the up to $34 million in food that FoodShare households potentially lost from January’s storm alone, according to a state estimate.
Local Couple Pledges Future Support to Hunger Task Force Through Estate Gift
Local couple Bob and Dianna Haugh have pledged their support to Hunger Task Force by including the organization in their estate plans. Inspired by their own love of family meals, they hope their gift ensures future generations have access to nutritious food.
Spring 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.
Partner of the Month: Hmong American Friendship Association | April 2024
So far this year, HAFA has served more than 1,961 individuals at its client choice food pantry at which shoppers can select the items they wish to eat from the pantry shelves. This operation model has preserved dignity by letting clients decide what they want to eat and improved service quality and can reduce food waste.
Louie Gentine and Hunger Task Force Have Partnered for More than 20 Years to Provide Real Food for Wisconsin Families
For more than 20 years, Louie Gentine has joined Hunger Task Force in the fight against hunger by donating both cheese and capital so families can receive free food on the day they need it and in the neighborhood they live in.
Volunteer of the Month: Nate Koch
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.
Meet Laura Witkowski Our SNAP-ED Farmer Teaching Urban Students the Basics of Farming
Hunger Task Force offers a Farm-to-School program that gives nearly 30 students from Milwaukee Public Schools in third, fourth and fifth grade the opportunity to take bi-weekly field trips to the Hunger Task Force Farm during the growing season.
Hunger Task Force Shares Heart Healthy Meal with WISN 12
When stocking its 44 food pantries, Hunger Task Force uses what’s called the MyPlate model, it’s similar to the food pyramid, as a guide for helping people make good choices. “To make sure that the foods that we’re providing are healthy,” King said. “We are committed to using the kitchen as a way to teach people how to use those ingredients.” Nutrition educator Melanie Foland walked WISN 12 News’ Diana Gutierrez through the heart-healthy shrimp pasta dinner.
Alicia Williams is a Champion for Milwaukee Families With a Lifetime of Service
For over three decades, Alicia Williams has been a relentless advocate for Milwaukee’s most vulnerable residents. Her unwavering dedication to anti-hunger advocacy and community empowerment found a perfect home at Hunger Task Force, where her impactful work has left a lasting legacy. This commitment was honored in 2021 with the naming of Hunger Task Force’s north side FoodShare resource center – Alicia’s Place.
FoodShare Advocate Qadir Shah Hotak Helps Refugees Feel at Home in Milwaukee
Having grown up in Afghanistan, Qadir understands firsthand the difficulty people face when establishing roots in a new country. In 2022, Qadir joined the team at Hunger Task Force to fill an important need. He is the only FoodShare Advocate of Afghan descent and who speaks the two official languages of Afghanistan.
Hunger Task Force Helps St. Joseph Food Program and Walworth County Food & Diaper Bank Go the Extra Mile
Capacity is key when it comes to serving the community. Hunger Task Force is pleased to have made it possible for St. Joseph Food Program and Walworth County Food & Diaper Bank to receive a new refrigerated truck to enable both organizations to provide more fresh food to neighbors in need than ever before.
Hunger Task Force and Milwaukee County Parks Innovative Partnership to Reduce Food Insecurity in Milwaukee
Guy Smith, executive director of the Milwaukee County Parks, and Matt King, associate director and incoming CEO of Hunger Task Force, discussed the nearly 20-year partnership between the organizations to tackle hunger and promote environmental health in the city.
Hunger Task Force’s Sherrie Tussler’s nontraditional approach to fighting hunger
For the last 26 years, Sherrie Tussler has served the city and state by leading efforts to end hunger in Wisconsin as the CEO of the Hunger Task Force. Tussler, who is retiring in June, said her goal has been the same since she started in her role as CEO: to defend people against hunger.
Hunger Task Force and Palermo’s Pizza Distribute 600 “Easter Baskets for the Hungry” to Local Families in Need
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 600 families in need who will be recipients of the Easter Boxes and coordinated a drive-thru distribution at the new West Milwaukee headquarters.
Partner of the Month: West Allis Health Department | March 2024
At Hunger Task Force, we know that access to nutritious food is a cornerstone of health and well-being. That’s why we’re thrilled to recognize the West Allis Health Department as our Partner of the Month for March 2024! This month, we’d like to especially highlight the successful series of hands-on cooking demonstrations we’ve co-hosted in our McCarty Education Kitchen.
Joe and Joyce Ellwanger Are the Passionate Couple Behind Hunger Task Force
Joe and Joyce Ellwanger, the passionate couple behind the creation of Hunger Task Force, initiated the organization’s journey in the 1970s by establishing a free breakfast program for students in Milwaukee’s low-income neighborhoods.
Marquette Free Throws Score Money for Charity
Free throws are making a difference off the court, for each one made by the Marquette men’s and women’s teams during the regular season, a $5 donation will be made to Hunger Task Force. Announcers sometime call the free throw line “the charity stripe,” that term is now literal thanks to the partnership with Johnson Controls, according to Breanna Holly, Senior Director of Corporate Philanthropy.
Empowering Women Leaders at the Hunger Task Force Farm: Celebrating Our Sarah’s on International Women’s Day
This International Women’s Day, we’re doubling the impact of “Sarahs” at the Hunger Task Force Farm. Let’s celebrate the remarkable leadership of not one but two outstanding women, Sarah Bressler, Farm Manager and Sarah Christman, Farm Produce Manager, who are breaking barriers in the male-dominated field of agriculture.