BROOKFIELD, WI – For millions of families in Brookfield and other American cities, a daily meal is not a choice between fast food or a home cooked meal. Often the choice is between having a meal or paying rent. It’s sacrificing dinner for a life-saving drug or to keep electricity in the house.
September is National Hunger Month, a day set aside to encourage Americans to take a stand against hunger in their communities.
Waukesha County is among those where residents struggle with food insecurity, according to Feeding America, the nation’s largest network of pantries and food banks.
Before the pandemic, 6.1% of people in Waukesha County were considered food insecure, according to Feeding America. The continued economic fallout from the pandemic has brought that number to 8.4% of people on the verge of hunger.
As National Hunger Relief Month falls in September, food insecurity is something you can fight any month of the year.
Here are five things you need to know about National Anti Hunger Month and how you can support food insecure people in Brookfield.
Know the facts about hunger
Some people think that hunger is not a problem in the United States. This is simply not true.
Eighteen months after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, millions of Americans face food insecurity, according to Feeding America. In fact, Feeding America estimates that up to 42 million people – including 13 million children – could be food insecure in 2021. As a result, food banks nationwide have seen their use increase by nearly 55%.
Why are so many people facing food insecurity this year? The pandemic has disproportionately affected Americans in low-paying jobs in the United States. A low-wage job is defined as one where a worker earns $ 10.22 an hour or less.
In 2019, around 53 million people qualified as low-wage workers, according to Feeding America. During the pandemic, nearly half of low-wage workers reported job loss or reduced wages during the pandemic, forcing many to decide which expenses to cover and which to forgo.
Donate to a Brookfield Area Pantry
Pantry and food banks saw a 55% increase in their use during the pandemic, according to the latest data from Feeding America, erasing a decade of progress toward ending hunger in the United States.
Donating to a pantry is easy. Pantries accept any “shelf stable†or non-perishable food – that means you can keep it in your pantry and it won’t spoil. It’s also a good rule of thumb to only feed foods that have not yet reached their expiration date.
See a list of what to give to the pantry and what to avoid.
here are the the closest pantries in County Waukesha:
Berlin’s New Pantry
14750 Cleveland Avenue West.
New Berlin, WI
www.newberlin.org
Pewaukee pantry
642 Main Street
Pewaukee, WI 53072
www.pewaukeefoodpantry.com
Sussex Outreach Services
N64 W23760, main street
Sussex, WI 53089
www.sussexareaos.org
Volunteer in a food bank or pantry
More than half of all food programs in the United States rely entirely on volunteers, according to Feeding America. While volunteering might seem different depending on where you are, here is a sample of the jobs you could do:
- Keep pantry shelves stocked and assemble food boxes for pickup.
- Help with fundraising or raise awareness about pantry services.
- Delivery of meals or boxes of food.
- Help with distribution in drive-through or mobile pantries.
To volunteer at Brookfield, check with one of the pantries listed above.
Organize a fundraiser
You can take action against hunger in Brookfield by organizing a fundraiser for Feeding America or any local food bank or pantry. Not only is this a great way to tackle food insecurity, but it’s also a fun way to interact with others while making a difference in your community.
Here are some ways to fundraise for Feeding America:
If you’d rather fundraise for another local pantry or food bank, contact them to see how you can help.
Put pressure on your legislators
You can use your voice to advocate for those struggling with food insecurity. Federal food programs are a necessity to end hunger – for every meal provided by a pantry, government food programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provide nine.
Organizations like Feeding America make it easier to communicate with your legislators by using these contact forms.
Feeding America serves 200 member food banks that serve and deliver 60,000 pantries, kitchens and meal programs across the country.
FIND FOOD
Find your local food bank
MAKE A DONATION
Donate to Feeding America*
READ
“The impact of the coronavirus on food insecurity”
Credit: Photo patch / Shutterstock
Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help educate the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that by 2021 more than 42 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch Social Good Project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. * Find out how you can donate in your community or find a pantry near you.
