Summer may mean a break from school room activities, but it's also a break from reliable meals for many Wisconsin kids.

Hunger Task Force, headquartered in Milwaukee, works vigorously to try and make sure it's ready for the spike up in demand when those families need help.  Jonathan Hansen, chief strategy officer at Hunger Task Force, says they will be using a portion of a $2.5 million grant to help offset demands.  Hansen tells Pam Jahnke that the funding — part of a $10 million investment in Wisconsin’s 2025-27 state budget created by Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin State Legislature — connects local nonprofit food assistance programs with local producers to keep pantry shelves stocked with nutritious and locally produced food.  

Hansen notes that through Connecting Farms to Families, Hunger Task Force will use 100% of grant funds to support hunger relief programs across Wisconsin — uniquely providing all food absolutely free of charge — including food pantries, meal programs, nonprofit organizations, Tribal Nations and members of the Hunger Relief Federation of Wisconsin. All food purchased with the funding will come from small and mid-sized Wisconsin farmers and producers. This ensures producers have a reliable market for their crops and people across the state have consistent access to healthy food.