Milwaukeeans’ need for food resources continues to rise.

Food insecurity peaked in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic but declined with the help of financial support programs. Now that those programs are ending, service providers are seeing an increase in those in need.

“Someone pointed out to me recently that even the cost of McDonald’s is going up,” said Solana Patterson-Ramos, executive director of the Milwaukee Food Council, which works to ensure Milwaukee has a healthy, affordable and sustainable food system. “So, even those things that people relied on to get by are becoming more expensive.”

A June report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum shows FoodShare usage remains higher than pre-pandemic levels.

FoodShare is Wisconsin’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as “food stamps.”

“As of March 2024, data from the state Department of Health Services show Wisconsin’s FoodShare program totaled 702,700 recipients. That was well below the most recent peak of 793,300 participants in May 2021 but still 99,000 (16%) more than in March 2020, which was the last month with recipient levels not impacted by the pandemic,” the report said.

How many people are affected?

According to Bob Waite, the senior account manager with IMPACT 2-1-1, during IMPACT’s full year in 2022, there were 12,509 requests for food resources, which accounted for 9.5% of all calls to IMPACT 2-1-1 that year.

IMPACT 2-1-1 is a group that connects people in need to resources and services in their communities. 

But Waite said, for the 12-month period from August 2023 to July, there were 21,436 requests for food resources. This accounted for 16% of all calls to IMPACT 2-1-1 during this period, representing a 45% increase in requests compared to all of 2022, according to Waite. 

He said referrals for food pantries accounted for 95% of all food-related calls.

Jonathan Hansen, chief strategy officer for Hunger Task Force, said the organization has also seen an increase in people needing emergency food as well as in those seeking help from homeless shelters and meal programs. 

Hunger Task Force is a food bank and advocacy organization based in West Milwaukee. 

Hunger Task Force’s food bank delivers healthy emergency food to a local network of food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters in Milwaukee County.

Hansen said there has been a 40% increase in the number of people and families utilizing those programs. The group is currently serving 27,000 people monthly.

Why is the need for food increasing?

A report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum on continued high FoodShare usage noted that “this may reflect a number of factors, from changes to eligibility requirements to reduced stigma and high food prices.”

Hansen said the biggest issue the Hunger Task Force is seeing is the higher costs of food and everything else.

“We hear so many stories about families who need to choose between paying their rent or buying groceries month to month,” he said. “During Wisconsin winters, families with little or no income for food often have to choose between keeping the heat on or keeping food on the table.”

Patterson-Ramos, of the Milwaukee Food Council, said because of inflation, people are losing their safety nets.

“Our reality is we need to do everything we can to improve the emergency food system we have now while working to ensure it can become obsolete in the future,” she said.

How you can help

You can volunteer: Hunger Task Force has 15,000 volunteers annually who support its various programs, including food sorting and emergency food box building at its food bank facility.

You can donate unused food to the Hunger Task Force, Feeding America, or local food banks.

Any financial donation helps, said Patterson-Ramos.

“Sometimes a pantry has food to distribute but no staff to work, so operational costs can be an issue,” she said. 

You can also be a voice.

Both the Hunger Task Force and the Milwaukee Food Council offer opportunities for people to advocate for new policies or changes to existing ones.

You can look at the Hunger Task Force’s website for more information on the group, and you can sign up for the Milwaukee Food Council’s newsletter to keep up with developments. 

A version of this story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

News414 is a service journalism collaboration between Wisconsin Watch and Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service that addresses the specific issues, interests, perspectives and information needs identified by residents of central city Milwaukee neighborhoods. Learn more at our website or sign up for our texting service here.

Milwaukee’s food programs see a rise in demand is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.