A publication of Hunger Task Force | hungertaskforce.org | Spring 2014A publication of Hunger Task Force | hungertaskforce.org | Spring 2014A publication of Hunger Task Force | hungertaskforce.org | Spring 2014A publication of Hunger Task Force | hungertaskforce.org | Spring 2014A publication of Hunger Task Force | hungertaskforce.org | Spring 2014A publication of Hunger Task Force | hungertaskforce.org | Spring 2014

HUNGER CONNECTION

Hunger Task Force raises the bar

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Make a difference in 2014 by volunteering

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Farming is a profession of hope

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MARCHMARCHMARCHMARCHMARCHMARCH

T H E D A Y W H E N H U N G E R W I L L M E E T I T S M A T C H !

•Donateonlineatwww.MatchDayMKE.org.

•Callourdonationhotlineat(414)939-MEAL.

•Stopbyouroffice.

Get even more bang for your donated buck when you make an online donation to Hunger Task Force on Match Day!

Questions about Match Day?

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With the help of volunteers, we harvested over 1,000,000 pounds

of produce last year! Over 25 varieties of crops were provided

to local families, pantries and soup kitchens. Here are a few

reasons why growing local produce at the Farm is so important:

“Farming is a profession of hope.”

Farm to Fork in 48 Hours

• Unlike grocery store produce – which can come from as far away as South America! – our Farm’s produce is harvested and delivered to families within 48 hours for maximum nutrition. Local is best and most fresh!

• Having our own Farm and local distribution also means Hunger Task Force spends less money on transportation and fuel.

Fresh from the Vine

• Fresh produce is healthier than processed orcanned foods, helping our food supply ante up on the vitamins and minerals and cut down on high sodium or sugar.

• We also make sure our pantry network We also make sure our pantry network receives the cream of the crop—literally! Farm produce is harvested at the optimum time for picking without bruising or blemish.

No Sticker Shock

• Healthy crops like asparagus and spinach are often too expensive for a family to purchase in stores, but we’re proud to offer all Farm produce to families free of charge.

• Thanks to the awesome support of our volunteers, we can grow all this produce for far less than what it costs to buy it!

• During harvest season, Farm produce also replaces non-perishable items in Stockboxes for low-income seniors, allowing us to reserve those resources for future or emergency use.

Youareinvited

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“Farming is a profession of hope.”

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M A K E A D I F F E R E N C E I N 2 0 1 4

BY VOLUNTEERING!Hunger Task Force needs volunteers to help out at upcoming special events from May through September.

From sorting food donations on-site at your local post office during Stamp Out Hunger, to collecting food

donations at Milwaukee’s most rocking summer festivals, we’ve got a ton of opportunities for you!

Stamp Out HungerSaturday, May 10

Polish FestSaturday, June 14

Kohl’s Day at SummerfestSunday, June 29

Festa ItalianaSunday, July 20

Irish FestSunday, August 17

Email Justine Vergeer, Community Relations Manager, for available dates and times at justine@hungertaskforce.org

Farm for a Day! Have you ever wondered how the seed in a field becomes food on your fork? Volunteer at the Hunger Task Force Farm and find out! Enjoy the outdoors while making a difference in Milwaukee. Activities include planting, harvesting, watering, weeding and trail maintenance. Shifts run three hours in length and can fit into any schedule. Individuals or groups are welcome.

Contact farmvolunteers@hungertaskforce.org to get started!

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SETTING THE STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE

We set our standards high here at Hunger Task Force. We’ve got to –fighting hunger is a tough business. Every day, we strive for excellence by feeding the hungry with outstanding service, dignity and equality.

But it’s important that we also uphold these same standards within our pantry and meal program network. After all, operating a pantry, meal or Stockbox site is more than just providing food.

Enter the Standards of Excellence.

The Standards sets the bar for how to feed Milwaukee. At the top of the list is providing service with dignity and respect, and upholding Civil Rights. The Standards gives guidelines for

storing and distributing healthy foods, and maintaining appropriate operating hours so a family can get help when they need it. The Standards assures that people in need receive uniform service in the type, quality and nutritional content of the food they and nutritional content of the food they

receive, in amounts appropriate receive, in amounts appropriate for their household size, no for their household size, no matter when or where they matter when or where they seek assistance.seek assistance.

Network sites can also receive Network sites can also receive higher Standards ratings for helping higher Standards ratings for helping

clients sign-up for FoodShare and other clients sign-up for FoodShare and other benefit programs, or having commercial grade coolers or freezers allowing them to serve more people and to provide a healthy mix of nutritious food.

Hunger Task Force’s goal is to have 90% or more of the sites in our network rated as “Good (3)” or “Excellent (4)”

according to the Standards of Excellence. Thanks to our incredible network of partner sites and community volunteers we have exceeded this goal and are currently listing 95% of our sites at a 3 or 4 rating! Sites such as Open Door Café, Cathedral Center and Milwaukee Christian Center are glowing examples of programs that are serving Milwaukee’s hungry in most excellent ways.

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“A person cannot accomplish much when

they are hungry,” he explains. But Peter

learned that help is not far away. During his

regular visits to Independence First to work

with his Independent Living counselor,

Peter was connected with Hunger Task

Force’s FoodShare Assistant. For the first

time this year, Hunger Task Force has a

FoodShare Assistant working right in the

building—Monday through Friday—to help

folks sign up for benefits while they work

on their skills for living with disabilities.

Right off the bat, Peter signed up for

FoodShare, helping him maintain his

independence to shop at the grocery store

for healthy foods. He also signed up for the

Qualified Medical Beneficiary program,

which improves his budget by helping him

pay his $104 Medicare premium every

month. Peter also now receives

“Stockbox”—a monthly box of food for

low-income seniors—to help him stretch

his food budget.

Peter tells us the most positive outcome is

having access to food to keep healthy, so he

can continue to go the gym and work on the

every-day challenges of his disability. Food

helps to keep up his hope. “It is not always

possible to ‘pull yourself up by your own

bootstraps.’ Hunger Task Force’s assistance

was great and has improved my life.”

Peter is 61 and has been struggling. He’s been living Peter is 61 and has been struggling. He’s been living

with a disability for a number of years now, which with a disability for a number of years now, which

makes maintaining employment and keeping food on makes maintaining employment and keeping food on

the table extremely difficult. the table extremely difficult.

“Trying to find work gets harder with age. I would prefer to be working, but I need the assistance.”S O , P E T E R S T A R T E D S K I P P I N G M E A L S .

PeterPetermakes maintaining employment and keeping food on Petermakes maintaining employment and keeping food on makes maintaining employment and keeping food on Petermakes maintaining employment and keeping food on

the table extremely difficult. Peterthe table extremely difficult. the table extremely difficult. Peterthe table extremely difficult.

P E O P L E

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Your planned gift can play a key role in the

future of Hunger Task Force, protecting hope

and opportunity for generations that follow.

W I T H A P L A N N E D G I F T, Y O U C A N :

• Make a larger charitable gift than you thought possible• Take care of the financial needs of your family first• Provide inheritances for your heirs at a lower tax cost• Reduce your income tax and even avoid capital gains taxes• Diversify your investment portfolio• Increase income and effective rate of return• Leave a legacy without giving up assets

As a donor, you are in control of your gift. You can designate it with a specific program or purpose in mind, or leave your gift unrestricted so we can apply it toward the areas of greatest need.

It’s easy to designate Hunger Task Force as a recipient of your planned gift. Simply call Scott Marshall, Director of Development at (414) 238-6474 or send an email to scott@hungertaskforce.org.

PLANNED

Outpost Natural Foods stores have become a unique part of the Milwaukee food landscape. It’s like shopping at an indoor farmers market year round!

Outpost has been an integral part of the communities they serve since 1970, when a small group of community and health minded Milwaukeeans started the East Kane Street Food Co-op, up until today as they prepare to open their fourth location. Much like the Green Bay Packers, Outpost is owned by the people who support them, with over 18,700 “owners.”

Fresh, healthy meats, fruits, and vegetables are a valuable commodity within a food bank’s network. The tens of thousands of pounds of fresh, tens of thousands of pounds of fresh, healthy meats, fruits and vegetables healthy meats, fruits and vegetables donated annually by Outpost Natural donated annually by Outpost Natural Foods to serve the clients in Hunger Task Foods to serve the clients in Hunger Task Force’s network underscores their Force’s network underscores their commitment to this community. After commitment to this community. After all it’s the community that supports all it’s the community that supports the co-op, so in turn the co-op the co-op, so in turn the co-op supports the community.

Outpost’s vision of a community that is Outpost’s vision of a community that is hunger-free and supports everyone’s hunger-free and supports everyone’s right to eat nutritious food makes them a right to eat nutritious food makes them a perfect partner for Hunger Task Force! perfect partner for Hunger Task Force!

“Until everyone in our community has access to real food, partnerships like Outpost and partnerships like Outpost and Hunger Task Force are important Hunger Task Force are important to maintain. Our goal isn’t just selling food, it’s creating a selling food, it’s creating a healthier community for healthier community for everyone, and we understand and connect with the fact that reaching out a hand to those in need may actually pull them up.”

Pam Mehnert, general manager

FRESH & LOCAL meets FREE & LOCALFRESH & LOCAL meets FREE & LOCALFRESH & LOCAL meets FREE & LOCALFRESH & LOCALFRESH & LOCAL

Board of Directors

Mike Zeka Quarles & Brady

Paul Mathews Marcus Center for the Performing Arts

Mary Burgoon Rockwell Automation

Pat Byrne Erica P. John Fund

Sally Callan Sixteenth Street Community Health Center

Roberta Harris

Jennifer Jones Children’s Trust Fund

Jeff Manby Kohl’s Department Stores

Sadhna Morato-Lindvall Aurora Health Care Foundation

S. Edward Sarskas Michael Best & Friedrich LLP

Hunger Task Force201 S. Hawley CourtMilwaukee, WI 53214phone (414) 777-0483fax (414) 777-0480

Hunger Task Force believes that every person has the right to adequate 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.

Hunger Task Force, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and provider. We do not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital status,national origin, ancestry, citizenship, or disability, or any other category protected by law.

Thanks to Burton & Mayer who donated printing to offset the cost of creating this Hunger Connection.

NON PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDMILWAUKEE, WIPERMIT NO. 1069

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M A R K Y O U R C A L E N D A R F O R

Saturday, May 10…it’s time again to Stamp Out Hunger!

Donating during Stamp Out Hunger is one of the easiest ways to Donating during Stamp Out Hunger is one of the easiest ways to help feed Milwaukee. Be on the lookout for a collection bag in your mailbox in early May, fill the bag with non-perishable food items and leave it for your letter carrier to pick up on Saturday, May 10.