Bobby Portis Joins the Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin Team

As a child, Bobby Portis wasn’t focused on where he would be five years down the road.

Growing up in a single parent household, the Milwaukee Bucks star said he was primarily focused on “surviving the day” and helping his mom and three little brothers in any way that he could.

That ‘underdog mentality’ as he calls it, is what drives his passion, dedication and commitment to helping those who find themselves in similar situations.

“Being able to have this platform, and being able to give back to the communities that I live in, Little Rock, Arkansas, Milwaukee and all over the Wisconsin area is big for me.” Portis said on a recent visit to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. “These are the (fans) who give us the love and support that we need. It’s our honor and our duty to give back to them as well.

“It’s always been my calling to spread my blessings with others and help put a smile on faces.”

Hosting numerous community members, pantry partners and donors, Portis made his commitment known, announcing a $25,000 donation to the state’s largest food bank, as well as the start of a brand ambassadorship where he’ll champion the 2023 Peanut Butter and Jelly Challenge, raising funds and product to stock local shelves with as much PB&J as possible.

“Growing up, I didn’t really care about eating,” he said when talking about his upbringing. “I was just trying to help my mom get out of the situation we were in. It wasn’t about me eating, it was about us grinding and trying to figure out how we were going to get to the next step of our lives.”

Currently, the city of Milwaukee is facing a massive increase in food insecurity.  According to a recent national study, 25 % of children in the county don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

Acknowledging that times are tough for a lot of people right now, Portis exclaimed that “help is on the way.”

While announcing the partnership with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Portis said that he believes that one of the highest human acts is to inspire. He hopes that his involvement will not only raise awareness to the cause but also encourage others to get involved in some capacity.

“Run your own race in life,” he said when asked about advice to inspire. “Sometimes in life, this guy is going to have more, this guy comes from a better background and his family might have brought him up a little different, or he has more than you, or he has a bigger contract, or his car is better. But in life, it’s all about running your own marathon and your own race. The journey of life, you can’t put a tab on it. There are going to be highs and lows, adversity is always going to hit for everyone, but what you do with that adversity and how you push through it makes you who you really are.

“Real life situations are what makes you. You won’t learn anything about life without going through something. My biggest thing in life is experiences and running your own race. Running my own race led me to Milwaukee and to be an NBA Champion.”

If you want to get involved in the 2023 Peanut Butter and Jelly Challenge with Bobby Portis and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, please reach out to info@FeedingAmericaWI.org or email Public Relations and Communications Coordinator Tony Cartagena (TCartagena@FeedingAmericaWI.org).