Food insecurity in southeast Wisconsin grows ahead of holidays

Food insecurity in southeast Wisconsin grows

If you feel like your grocery bill is getting pricier, you are not alone. Food banks in southeast Wisconsin are seeing more people deal with food insecurities ahead of Thanksgiving.

MILWAUKEE - If you feel like your grocery bill is getting pricier, you are not alone. Food banks in southeast Wisconsin are seeing more people deal with food insecurities ahead of Thanksgiving.

"I’m not seeing any food in those racks and that is a problem that is especially a problem going into the holiday season," said Scott Marshall, Vice President of Development and Communications for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.

Scott Marshall

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is gearing up for the holidays with a few challenges. Marshall said the demand for food has increased 25% this year.

"Now the benefits in the food that the government provided for two, two-and-a-half years of what we considered the pandemic, they’re gone," Marshall said.

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Because of that, Marshall said the pantries they serve are seeing more Wisconsinites come in. The demand is higher than the supply.

"They’ve been making calls to us for months saying we’re seeing new faces, we’re seeing record numbers, we need access to more than the usual food you’re able to provide for us," Marshall said.

Higher grocery costs add another layer.

The Department of Agriculture predicts in 2023 all food prices will increase 5.8% from 2022.

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"We receive so much of our food donated by grocery stores and they just aren’t ordering as much food as they used to – so they have less food to be able to provide to us," Marshall said.

Marshall said the donations are lacking from all aspects. However, he is cautiously optimistic the holiday spirit will turn things around.

"People here in the city always come through," Marshall said.

If you want to help, the biggest items the food bank needs is meat, dairy and fresh fruit or vegetables.

If you need help, call 211 or go to Feeding America Eastern's Wisconsin's website. If you are in a position to help, visit Feeding America's donation page.