Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin - About Hunger in Southwestern Wisconsin

We all think we've experienced hunger - our stomachs growl, we grab a snack to hold us over until our next meal or just tough it out until dinnertime.

But real hunger is much different. It is an uneasy or painful feeling that results from unwillingly going for an extended period of time without adequate food to sustain health and strength because food is not available to you.

Food, along with clothing and shelter are the most basic human needs, and yet many in our community truly don't know where their next meal is coming from. Hunger is colorblind and doesn't discriminate on the basis of age.

For most of us, the face of hunger has come from images of malnourished children in developing countries. It can be very difficult to accept that nearly 141,000 of our southwestern Wisconsin neighbors are food insecure. Yet these children, senior citizens, people with disabilities and the working poor aren't able to obtain nutritionally adequate and safe foods in socially acceptable ways to sustain active, healthy lives.

The partner food pantries, shelters, meal sites and other agencies served by Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin report an increased year-round need for food assistance as community members struggle with unemployment and the loss of medical insurance, a shortage of affordable housing and high utility costs.

Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin is one of 185 food banks that participated in the national Hunger in America 2010 study conducted for Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

In southwestern Wisconsin, data was collected from 455 face-to-face interviews with clients served by emergency food assistance programs and surveys completed by 239 partner agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters, in Second Harvest Foodbank's 16-county service area.

The study reports the Foodbank is serving 83% more people than in 2006. This means we now serve 140,600 individuals- 43% of whom are children. That's 22,700 people receiving emergency assistance in any given week.

Below is a snapshot of hunger in this part of the state. You can also download this special report:

Hunger in Wisconsin 2010 - A Statewide Look (map of Feeding America food banks serving Wisconsin)

With first-time Hunger in America study participation by all five Feeding America food banks serving Wisconsin residents, we are now able to share a comprehensive view into the extent of hunger across the state and the circumstances that drive our neighbors and individuals to seek food assistance.

Hunger in Wisconsin 2010 reports that the Feeding America food bank system in Wisconsin serves 573,800 individuals each year—37% of whom are children. That’s 83,700 people receiving emergency food assistance in any given week. Of all households surveyed, 70% are food insecure and unable to access adequate food to sustain health and strength.

Data for the study was collected from 965 in-person interviews with clients served by emergency food assistance programs and 1,044 surveys completed by partner agencies providing food assistance.

With need on the rise, Wisconsin’s Feeding America food banks will continue to work collaboratively to address how to provide more food to more families, children and seniors struggling with hunger.