Our Hunger Relief Programs in Southern Wisconsin
Second Harvest gathers millions of pounds of food each year which is distributed to neighbors facing hunger throughout southern Wisconsin via our network of hunger-relief partners and programs. Here are some of the ways we are able to distribute food to our community.
Agency Partners
Second Harvest distributes food to a committed network of over 250 community partners such as food pantries, residential programs, meal sites, community centers, schools, healthcare organizations, and youth sites in 16 counties throughout Southwestern Wisconsin.
Mobile Food Pantries
Second Harvest launched the Mobile Pantry program to strategically supplement local food resources, food pantries, shelters, and meal sites. Mobile Pantries operate on a scheduled, recurring basis in coordination with a local community partner.
FoodShare Outreach Program (FSO)
Second Harvest’s FoodShare Outreach team works with Wisconsin DHS, to educate individuals about FoodShare (SNAP) benefits and provides multilingual application assistance to community members at partner sites.
Youth and Family Initiatives
Second Harvest coordinates a variety of youth programs including in-school food pantries, Kids Cafes, backpack programs, and snack and meal programs.
Community Cooks
Second Harvest partners with community members across our 16 counties to support culturally meaningful cooking classes and demonstrations. This program is in its pilot phase, taking place at current youth program sites. This provides an opportunity for folx – particularly those with historically marginalized identities – that are passionate about cooking to share their unique experiences, skills, and knowledge around food while providing resources directly to community. In addition to paying the cooks, Second Harvest supports procurement of cooking tools and food for program participants as part of our strategic priorities in addressing the root causes of hunger. For inquiries about the Community Cooks program, please reach out to Youth & Family Initiatives Specialist, Kylie Jacobsen, at kyliej@shfbmadison.org.
Health and Wellness Initiatives
In partnership with healthcare and community groups, Second Harvest Health and Wellness Initiatives aim to support individual health and nurture the wellness of communities.