It's crunch time at the Hunger Task Force, and your help is needed

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- It's crunch time for volunteers at the Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee -- working to get those holiday meals ready for those in need.

"You know they’re gonna have a great Christmas, and you know that they’re gonna eat that whole week because of the generosity of one person," Hunger Task Force Executive Director Sherrie Tussler said.

The Hunger Task Force is filling 800 bins with more than $120 worth of food, including fresh fruits and vegetables, stuffing and candy canes.

"If we can pitch in a little bit and help people out, I think it's a good idea," Tussler said.

Lauren Zerili was one of about 100 volunteers on Sunday, December 15th.

"It's not anything that nobody wants. They get like, a really, really good meal -- so it feels really awesome!" Zerili said.

Once the bins are filled, they head to roughly 50 area pantries where they are distributed to those in need.

"We've had people tell us that they weren't planning on celebrating a Thanksgiving meal or a Christmas meal and they say 'because of this, we're gonna get our family together and celebrate,'" Vincent Noth with the Riverwest Food Pantry said.

This meal also includes a holiday ham -- something the Hunger Task Force is running low on.

"The ham is super important, because it really does sort of tie out the bin and make the meal special -- and we didn't get a lot of hams this year, so we're still asking people to lend a 'helping ham,'" Tussler said.

Those looking to help out can deliver a ham to the Hunger Task Force, or make a donation of $15 to cover the cost of a holiday ham via the Hunger Task Force's website.