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Food challenges in Milwaukee
Rising food costs and several major grocery store closures on Milwaukee’s north side have created a "food desert," leaving neighbors with few options.
MILWAUKEE - Rising food costs and grocery store closures are among the list of challenges neighbors on Milwaukee's north side have been battling.
Food challenges
What we know:
Inside the Silver Spring emergency food pantry, you can hear the sound of shopping carts being filled with fresh food. Families on the city's north side are able to sort through and bag up groceries to take home.
Christene Allen has been coming to the food pantry for four years.
"It helps me out every month," Allen said.
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Allen lives a mile from the pantry. She told FOX6 News, it is the closest place to get access to food in the area.
"I come here get my groceries and that way it helps me," Allen said.
Pantry operators feel impact
Dig deeper:
Devin Hudson runs the pantry. She said with the rising cost of food prices, and at least three major grocery stores closing in the last few years, there has been an impact on the community.
"We got to fill the immediate need of basic needs," Hudson said. "Our numbers have definitely gone up. We definitely see that impact from the store having closed."
The pantry operators say they are now open five days a week. They are also more reliant than ever on the help of partners.
Help from Hunger Task Force
What they're saying:
"Over the past two years, we've seen over 50% increase pantry traffic across Milwaukee and/or the folks that we serve are our children over 60,000 people every single month," said Jonathan Hansen of the Hunger Task Force.
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What you can do:
Volunteers with Hunger Task Force are already gearing up for the summer months.
If you would like to get involved, there are multiple ways to become of help to Hunger Task Force. Learn more about donating time or money to the organization.
The Source: Information in this post was provided, in part, by Hunger Task Force.