The Hunger Task Force Mission
Hunger Task Force is Milwaukee’s only Free & Local food bank and Wisconsin’s anti-hunger leader.
Mission Statement:
Hunger Task Force believes that every person has a right to healthy food obtained with dignity. We work to prevent hunger and malnutrition by providing food to people in need today and by promoting social policies to achieve a hunger free community tomorrow.
Core Values:
Our core values are dignity, justice, equity, compassion and stewardship. Our goal and mission is to end hunger in our community and state.

What’s the Difference between Hunger Task Force and national food bank chains?
Hunger Task Force’s mission and Free & Local model are unique. Unlike national food bank chains, Hunger Task Force does not charge local pantries for food, delivery or network membership fees. We believe that healthy food should be provided free of charge based upon need, not upon an organization’s ability to pay. Our organization is supported 100% by the local community…donors support Hunger Task Force because they believe in the Free & Local model to end hunger.
Hunger Task Force |
Feeding America |
Mission |
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Hunger Task Force believes that every person has a right to healthy food obtained with dignity. Hunger Task Force works to prevent hunger and malnutrition by providing food to people in need today and by promoting social policies to achieve a hunger-free community tomorrow. | To solve hunger. |
History |
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Established in 1974 by a group of concerned community leaders organized to convince the public schools to begin serving school breakfast to reduce childhood hunger. | Established in 1982 by the Rotary Club of Milwaukee with the concept of feeding the hungry in Wisconsin by soliciting food that would otherwise be wasted and distributing it to qualified non-profits. |
Food banking |
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Distributed 14,023716 pounds of food in 2019-20. Serves a network of 70 emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters in the Greater Milwaukee area. 39% of revenue is donated food. |
Distributed 36 million pounds of food in 2019-20. Serves 600 qualified nonprofits in 35 Eastern Wisconsin counties. 82% of revenue is donated food. |
Fundraising |
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44% of revenue is cash donations. Raised $14,984,291 in 2019-20 Spent $993,733 on fundraising (7% of fundraising total). Financial information from 2019-20 Audit. |
15% of revenue is cash donations. Raised $8,729,490 in 2019-20. Spent $1,261,434 on fundraising (15% of fundraising total). Financial information from 2019-20 Audit. |
The Difference? |
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Ending Future Hunger FoodShare outreach assists seniors, families and people with disabilities to obtain grocery store buying power. Addresses childhood hunger by advocating for well-run school meals programs that serve breakfast, lunch and supper to children and youth. Operates the Mobile Market grocery store on wheels, with 34 stops in Milwaukee food deserts. Serves 275,000+ summer meals to children and delivers 105,571 Stockboxes to income eligible seniors annually. |
Sales Strategies No FoodShare outreach program.
Kid’s Café and Backpack Buddies program.
Mobile pantry drops excess food in parking lots.
Does not administer nutrition programs locally. |
Free Hunger Task Force collects and delivers all food absolutely free of charge. |
Not Free Organizations pay 19 cents a pound to purchase the food given out by their organizations. |
Local Hunger Task Force is an independent anti-hunger organization created in Milwaukee to serve Milwaukee. |
Not Local Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is one franchise of over 200 food banks in the Feeding America network. Their national office is in Chicago. |