Hunger Task Force new West Milwaukee facility 100K square feet
WEST MILWAUKEE, Wis. - The Hunger Task Force showed off their brand new facility in West Milwaukee Thursday, Sept. 16, meant to simplify the logistics of getting food to people in need.
"This is five times bigger, and that’s important because our responsibilities have really just blossomed during the pandemic," said Sherrie Tussler, executive director of the Hunger Task Force.
One of Wisconsin's largest food banks has a brand new home.
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"We knew we had inefficiencies because the Hawley location is so small," said Tussler. "We had another location near the airport, and we were driving food back and forth and in between. Pandemic hits, and all of a sudden, the Hawley space isn’t large enough."
The new facility, located in West Milwaukee, has more than 100,000 square feet of food storage space, 7,000 square feet of freezer space and 2,000 square feet of cooler space. It offers extra room to work as the pandemic’s emergency food relief programs end.
"So people need not worry if they need emergency food as their benefits run out or as they lose their FoodShare benefits that were emergency allotments," said Tussler. "We have also been called on to expand our senior services across the state of Wisconsin."
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The new building is serving as a sign of comfort for those at the Milwaukee Christian Center.
"It was almost like the food lines of the Great Depression," said Bernadette Arellano. "People were terrified and lining up for food. Without them, we wouldn’t stand, and that’s the bottom line of the truth."
Inside the new building are 128 aisles of food and volunteers and workers to get it to where it needs to go. Hunger Task Force officials say they’re ready to provide a meal to those in need.
Tussler said they are tentatively planning to officially move into this new building sometime in early 2022.
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