In June 2008, Milwaukee County’s main welfare officeerupted into chaos when approximately 3,000 people lined up to receiveFoodShare benefits, a federally funded program that offers a month’s worth of foodstamps to low-income residents who have incurred damage in a declareddisasterin this case, a flood. Many ofthose people weren’t affected by the flood at all; they were just in dire needof food.
Fortunately,Milwaukee has astrong contingent of citizens who refuse to allow our neighbors to go hungry.Friedens Community Ministries operates an emergency food pantry at the Marcia P. Coggs Human Services Centeron Vliet Street,the same building where food stamps are distributed. The “emergency” isn’t limitedto natural disasters, but rather relates to the fact that cupboards are bare.When Milwaukee County residents apply for food stampsfor the first time, they often don’t bring all the documentation they need toget their benefits activated right away. The emergency food pantry is astopgap, so a food-insecure family can have a three- to five-day supply of foodto tide them over until their benefits kick in. The emergency food pantryserves close to 12,000 households a year, and between 25,000 and 28,000 men,women and children.
Needyfamilies are given bags of groceries that Friedens puts together based oncurrent USDA guidelines. A typical bag will contain protein, likechicken or ham, cans of soup, vegetables and fruit, as well as starch in theform of rice or noodles. A significant portion of Friedens’ food is donated, sothe menu varies from day to day.
“We’re excited about our ability to meet people’semergency food needs,” explains David Johnson, executive director of FriedensCommunity Ministries. “But we want to see if we can do it in a healthier way bybringing more fresh foods through our pantry.”
ThisWednesday, Nov. 11, Friedens will host a dining fund-raiser called “It’s AllAbout Food” at UW-Milwaukee’s Zelazo Center to exchange ideason how to ensure that emergency food pantry clients have access to healthy foodfrom sustainable sources. Apanel of food justice and urbanagriculture experts have been invited to share their views on the matter and generate ideas on how Milwaukee’s food pantry network can influencehow our government chooses the commodities it distributes to emergency foodpantries.
The rosterof panelists includes Sherrie Tussler, executive director of Hunger Task Force,a locally founded, funded and operated nonprofit that has one goal in mind: endhunger. Young Kim of the Fondy Food Center will share the information he’scollected as executive director of a “farm to fork” nonprofit that’s committedto improving access to fresh, locally grown foods and promoting healthy dietson Milwaukee’s North Side. Relentlessly dedicated to an economically, sociallyand environmentally sustainable local food system through organizations likethe Kitchen Table Project, the Milwaukee Food Council, Growing Power and SlowFood Wisconsin Southeast, Martha Davis Kipcak will be on the panel. Also onhand will be Gretchen Mead, director of the Victory Garden Initiative, an urbanagriculture group that promotes the use of lawns for food production.
Audiencemembers are encouraged to participate in the discussion while they snack onsmall servings of food prepared by some of Milwaukee’s best chefsJoeMuench of Maxie’s Southern Comfort, JanKelly of Meritage and La Merenda’s Peter Sandroniwho will be using ingredients typically found in agrocery bag from Friedens’ food pantry. Participants can also bid on silentauction items in a farmers’ market setting where vendors will be selling theirwares. “It’s All About Food” will give community members not only a chance tosupport an inspiring food pantry like Friedens, but also a voice that could endhunger in our community.
Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. @UWM’sZelazo Center (2419 E. Kenwood Blvd.). Tickets: $35.Call414-289-6030 for reservations.n
