Founded in 1982 by the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is a local and independent member of the Feeding America network and is the leading local hunger-relief organization in the state. From its first donation of 600 pounds of apples forty years ago to distributing more than 53 million pounds of food in 2021, Feeding America is helping those who face hunger move forward. It has a network of 400+ food pantries, soup kitchens, and emergency shelters and provides food to nearly 450,000 people each year, including 41,000 seniors and 124,000 children.
Primary Focus Area: Food for Lutheran food pantries & capacity building for solving hunger
Requesting Funding for "Educating the next generation of Lutheran food pantry leaders: The Food Leaders Lab"
Program Budget: $75,000
Operating Budget: $11,236,000
Lutheran Affiliation: Pan-Lutheran
Programs: The Food Leaders Lab is a program designed to train residents who are passionate about their community and interested in food access and developing policy solutions to address Milwaukee’s food system challenges. The focus of this program is to enroll leaders representing the Lutheran pantries supported by the Siebert Lutheran Foundation. Individuals will meet throughout the year to build community among the cohort while developing leadership and advocacy skills to bring concerns to stakeholders, decision-makers, and elected officials. Food Leaders Lab Ambassadors will be given a chance to learn and engage in the real work of change-making.
Ambassadors are compensated for their participation and will have significant opportunities to develop the program's direction, creating a more substantial stake to maximize this investment in their growth. The long-term goal is to solve hunger by going beyond simply providing food to shortening the line through outreach and advocacy.
Who is Served: 15,000 low-income individuals in Milwaukee county are served through the Lutheran pantry network, which is supported through this program
Location: 1700 W. Fond du Lac Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53205
Website: https://feedingamericawi.org/