How a Milwaukee School is Serving their Latino Community

Forest Home Avenue School is located in a southern Milwaukee neighborhood that is home to a high Hispanic population. Unique challenges like language, education, and cultural barriers create inequalities that make Latino communities more vulnerable to food insecurity. The school hosts a monthly mobile pantry to serve families that might face hunger because of these barriers.

Each month volunteers from Northwestern Mutual, parents, and teachers come together in the school’s gymnasium to distribute food to over 200 families in the neighborhood. While this program has been feeding families for over 13 years, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin got involved 11 years ago to ensure that Forest Home Avenue School could feed as many neighbors as possible.

It’s important for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin to understand whom they serve, in order to offer culturally appropriate food if possible. “I try to make sure we have specific items available like avocados, onions, or limes,” says Brooke, senior programs coordinator at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.

It is also very typical for Hispanic families to have more children or for elderly grandparents to live in the household as well. The more family members there are, the more mouths to feed. “We’re a big family so this helps a lot!” said one bilingual student that translated for her mom as they waited in the line of cars. With a lot of mouths to feed, the grocery list can add up quickly. Many families that come to Forest Home Avenue’s pantry are supplementing their already expensive grocery bill. Emily, a regular volunteer, explained: “I know a lot of families that come here have six or seven kids, so they need a lot of food.”

Emily is a mother that not only volunteers at the pantry but also relies on the pantry to supplement her costly trip to the store. “My husband is a teacher so he doesn’t get paid in June and July, so this has been very helpful,” she explains.

Emily is joined by an awesome group of moms that have been the backbone of this operation for over 10 years. Each of them appreciates the meat and vegetables they receive, and they explained how important it is for them to continually reach more families that may need help. “It’s such an important program,” says Maria, parent resource coordinator and volunteer. “We really need this support in the area. Not only for the school families but other people in the community.”

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin works hard to ensure that accessing food is a right for every neighborhood across eastern Wisconsin. “I love the community aspect about this mobile pantry,” adds Brooke. “There are parents, school staff, and community members that volunteer to help the residents. It’s wonderful how everyone jumps in to serve others.”

Click here to read about how Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is serving other communities.