Growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas, in a family led by a hardworking single mother, Milwaukee Bucks Forward Bobby Portis Jr. was influenced to make life better for struggling families – and at the same time, be an inspiring role model for young fans. And that developed into finding ways to support the community that cheers him on.

“Partnering with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin has been phenomenal for me,” Bobby said. “Being able to use my platform to give back, inspire, and just motivate others living in surrounding areas where I play ball has been great. Just being in Wisconsin in general, they’ve been so supportive of me since I joined the Bucks.”

For the past three years, Bobby has served as the ambassador for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s PB&J Challenge campaign, which raises awareness about childhood hunger and collects monetary donations and product donations of peanut butter and jelly – one of the most highly-requested items at food pantries across Eastern Wisconsin because they are packed with protein and nutrients for children, and are shelf-stable.

“You sometimes have opportunities come your way that you’re forever thankful for, especially an opportunity like the PB&J Challenge that specifically focuses on childhood hunger,” Bobby said. “It’s a big-time passion of mine, giving back to the next generation. That’s been great for me. We’ve helped out a lot of kids through this campaign so far, and hopefully next year can be even better.”

Bobby also supports Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s mobile food pantries to ensure they can distribute enough fresh food to people in need throughout the entire year.

And still, Bobby asks Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin staff what else the organization needs. When pantry partners were low on frequently requested items like fresh dairy products and produce, The Bobby Portis Foundation twice donated semi-truckloads of those items to get the food to people who needed it. “We’re not in this to change someone’s situation, we’re just here to give a helping hand along the way,” he said.

Bobby was inspired by the dedication of his own mother, Tina Edwards, to launch the foundation that is focused on helping families led by single mothers like her.

“To this day, it’s like we are the same little kids we were 10 or 15 years ago – the love and admiration we have for our mom, the respect we have for her is just different,” said  Bobby, who as the eldest sibling had the “big responsibility of not only trying to lead by example and make a good name for the family for my brothers to follow, but also having to be a man early on as a kid,” he said. “It just changed my perspective.”

For Bobby, working with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is a slam dunk because the organization values the same things that he does. “When you partner with someone, when you put your name with someone else’s name, obviously it has to be a great match,” Bobby said.

“I can’t say much more about the great things they do for the community and just how organized they are in general.”

“Giving back to his community is something Bobby has always taken pride and passion in,” said his mother, Tina. “The City of Milwaukee has embraced him just as well as he has embraced the City and his partnership with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin came to be because he wanted to make a difference. Being able to see Bobby giving back makes me smile, and as a mom, I know it’s way bigger than basketball.”

To learn more about the PB&J Challenge, visit FeedingAmericaWI.org/PBJ.