MILWAUKEE — It's the season of gathering and cheer, but for many people, their dinner tables would be bare if they didn't have the help of food pantries.
Food insecurity is still a huge problem two years after COVID-19 changed our lives, just ask Sherrie Tussler, the Executive Director of Hunger Task Force.
"One in four children wake up in a house that doesn't have enough food. Kids are going to school hungry. The Milwaukee Public Schools are providing meals, but families really do struggle," Tussler said @TheTable Monday night.
It's not just the youngest that go hungry, it's our seniors, especially those on fixed incomes facing higher costs at grocery stores. Inflation is also hitting the Hunger Task Force budget as well.
"It's harder to buy as much food. What we're seeing is 10-20-30% increases in foods that we're purchasing," said Tussler. "People donate money to us, so they can help feed the hungry, but the money isn't going as far as it used to."
TMJ4 is once again partnering with Hunger Task Force to put food on the table in our Home 4 The Holidays donation drive.
"We want to see some of those holiday foods and so people can go online, and they can make the decision to donate a thing that is favorite to them for the holiday," said Tussler. "They will make a difference not just for a single family, but they could make a difference for several families. These are your neighbors, these are kids, these are seniors that need your help."
Here's how you can help: Home 4 The Holidays: How you can help stop hunger in SE Wisconsin
To see more interviews with key people in our community, watch Shannon Sims and Charles Benson @TheTable on TMJ4 News at 10 p.m.
