A Voice for Neighbors Facing Hunger
Now a retired political activist, Brenda started her career as a young leader who wanted to make a difference. She worked on Harold Lee Washington’s campaign to get him elected as the first black mayor of Chicago. After moving to Milwaukee, Brenda became part of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. This is where she realized the full extent of people’s struggle to afford their monthly healthcare bills and groceries.
Her work involved knocking on people’s doors to more deeply understand issues and then calling state representatives to make sure their opinions were being heard. “I talked with many seniors, and I found out that many of them were cutting their heart medication pills in half, to take half today and half tomorrow,” explains Brenda. “Some had to choose whether to take their heart medicine or to buy food some days. Others were deciding between their health or their gas bill.”
Nobody should have to make these decisions. “If we don’t voice our opinions, politicians aren’t going to know what we need or want. This isn’t about being black or white. This isn’t about being republican or democrat. This is about people’s livelihood,” expresses Brenda.
“People are tired. It’s impossible to live on eight dollars an hour. Throw in having children, multiple jobs, education costs, and health issues into the mix, and that’s when I see people wanting to give up. That’s also where mental illness comes in too. A lot of these issues tie in together, and as soon as we treat this issue as a whole, that is when we will really accomplish something.”
On top of that, sometimes tragedy or crisis knocks on your door when you least expect it. A car crash, an unexpected illness or job loss can leave someone feeling helpless. “I want people to know that this can happen to anyone, and we are all going to be seniors one day! You may have everything you need right now, but you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.”
Brenda has put in a lot of work and has heard a lot of tough stories. That is why she is so generous with what she receives from the Greater Galilee Baptist Church Food Pantry. “I usually split the food with somebody else. I firmly believe my blessings are to be shared with other people. Somedays I will go knock on people’s doors just to ask if they need anything.”
Unfortunately, many seniors are told that they do not qualify for FoodShare. At 72 years old, Brenda’s husband has decided to go back to work in order to keep up with the bills each month. “Without organizations like Feeding America Easter Wisconsin, some of us wouldn’t have any help at all.”
We thank Brenda for her many years of service, and we thank her for continuing to advocate for change. To learn more about advocating for better hunger policies, visit https://feedingamericawi.org/get-involved/advocate/
