More than 180,000 Wisconsin children struggle with hunger each day; that’s one in six Wisconsin children — a staggering statistic. And to help make a difference in the lives of these children, the WRF announced a multi-year partnership with Feeding Wisconsin in 2018. Feeding Wisconsin is the statewide association of the Feeding America food banks that sources, warehouses and provides food to over 750 affiliated agencies and 1,000 local food programs throughout the state. Every year, the Feeding Wisconsin network of food banks, affiliated food pantries and meal programs provide almost 60 million meals to nearly 580,000 people statewide — nearly 33 percent of those meal recipients are children.
Regarding its relationship with Feeding Wisconsin, the WRF had two objectives:
- Raise money to give meals to children.
- Donate time at local food banks and/or pantries to help each community provide food for those in need.
Since partnering with Feeding Wisconsin, the WRF has raised over 364,350 meals for Wisconsin children; 184,380 of those meals were raised during the WRA’s 2018 and 2019 annual convention events. However, with over 16,000 members across the state and a REALTOR® in every community, REALTORS® have the ability to make a significant impact by donating time at a local food bank or food pantry. To help REALTORS® organize their volunteer efforts, the WRF created the “Team Up Against Hunger” week as a week to volunteer with your fellow REALTORS® at a local food bank or pantry near you.
The next volunteer week is November 11-15, 2019. With the week’s close proximity to Thanksgiving, the WRF coined the week the “Don’t be a Turkey Tour.” The tour reference is simply a nod to the 50-year anniversary of Woodstock.
Food banks and pantries always need help, but the holidays are especially demanding. When you volunteer in November, your help will allow food banks and pantries to have more hands to prepare for the holidays as well as continue to provide their everyday services.
Where do I volunteer?
There are over 1,000 food pantries in Wisconsin. You can find your local volunteer location in one of these ways:
Who makes arrangements to volunteer?
For locations that have not arranged a specific November 12 volunteer shift, the individual interested in volunteering should reach out to his or her local food pantry or food bank to arrange the volunteer opportunity. You can also reach out to Sandy or Cori with the WRF at 608-241-2047, and we will connect you to the nearest WRF board member in your community.
What if my company already volunteers at a food bank or food pantry?
Perfect! You’re encouraged to volunteer the week of November 11-15, and tag your company as well as the WRF. The goal of “Team Up Against Hunger” week is to have REALTORS® volunteer in their community at a local food pantry or food bank and collectively work to tackle hunger in Wisconsin.
* The WRF is a statewide organization dedicated to unifying REALTORS® to help Wisconsin children in the areas of education, hunger, homelessness/abuse and serious illnesses. Visit www.wra.org/wrf for more information.