Milwaukee food pantries seek to expand types of food provided

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee food pantries are seeing more demand for their services.

There is a push to expand the type of food they provide.

For Salvadora Molinares, her day off consists of stocking up on groceries at a Milwaukee food pantry on Vliet and 38th. It's a resource the Nicaraguan immigrant said has helped keep food on the table for her family.

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"Whatever I need is what I take with me," Molinares said. "This helps because food is really expensive. This helps us get by."

Her family is one of the 5,000 served every month at the food pantry. The Hmong American Friendship Association (HAFA) partners with the Hunger Task Force.

"We have seen an increase in community members coming in," said William Xiong, HAFA's food pantry coordinator. "It doesn't matter what race or where you're coming from."

With more people looking for their services, the Hunger Task Force is donating more food; things like fresh produce and shelf-stable items.

Over roughly the last year, the organization has provided 275,000 pounds of food. That's 70,000 more than the previous year.

"Our community here, we do have roughly more than half the population here is Asian, we have food that is culturally appropriate for them but also a diversity of food available will also be beneficial to the new people coming in, especially the Hispanic that we're seeing to increase in the numbers," Xiong said.

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This is why the food pantry is looking for more variety in cultural food choices, to continue to serve families like Molinares’.

"This helps, even if it's a little," Molinares said. "It goes a long way."

These food pantries are also receiving food donations coming from the Wisconsin State Fair.

Editor's note: FOX6 News translated parts of interviews used in this story from Spanish to English.