Feeding America receives major donation of healthy items: "This is unique and special"



MILWAUKEE -- Milk and apples may be easily accessible items in your household, but that's not the case for some families. Thanks to a major donation of items for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin Friday, April 27th, families in need will have some healthier options.

With a cart full of food, Pastor Michael Champion was ready to return to his church on Milwaukee's north side.

“To hungry, homeless, helpless, needy people," said the man who serves those people at New Creatures in Christ Outreach Ministry and Fellowship Church.



The haul was thanks to a major donation from Roundy’s Supermarkets and Kemps to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, including 3,888 gallons of milk and 9,408 apples.



“Where normally we bring in soup or cereal or something non-perishable," said Connie Jones, Executive Assistant with Roundy's Supermarkets. "This is unique and special because they are healthy, perishable items.”

“Dairy is a protein-rich food. We know that it is very helpful to the kids," added Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin President Patti Habeck. "Produce is the area that we really push to make sure that the kids are getting nutritious product.”

Patti Habeck



Feeding America says 1-in-7 people in Eastern Wisconsin face hunger. And this is a particularly important time of year, as summer break means many children won’t have access to school lunch programs.

“More than 600 food pantries, meal programs and emergency shelters will have access to the produce that they donated," Habeck said. "And the milk that they donated.”

That includes programs like the one Pastor Champion runs for people in need in his neighborhood.

“Sometimes they ask what God looks like," he said. "And we tell ‘em God looks like this box of food you’re getting right now.”



A similar donation will soon go to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin's location in the Fox Valley as well.