Together We Are Helping Neighbors Access Their Benefits

I don’t know how people can possibly choose between medication and food. I almost had to make this choice, so I called the FoodShare helpline. Brooklynn, a FoodShare Outreach Specialist with
Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, gave me a call back and made the whole process so easy. When I first started receiving FoodShare in October 2022, I got $280 a month thanks to the  FoodShare Emergency Allotments* that were in place because of the pandemic.

Because of COVID-19, the federal government created a program that let Wisconsin provide extra FoodShare benefits to members. The federal government passed a law at the end of December 2022 that ended this program after February 2023. $84 million in FoodShare benefits disappeared from Wisconsin families’ grocery budgets.

Thankfully, Brooklynn helped get my monthly payment up to $90 a month by uploading my health documents to the FoodShare site. I really appreciated having Brooklynn on every call with me,
especially in the beginning when the benefits were not loading on my QUEST card and my online account was not updating. I think Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin does excellent work
and I’m glad they value helping others navigate FoodShare benefits.

Frank, Senior and FoodShare Recipient from Milwaukee.

*What were the FoodShare Emergency Allotments?

These emergency benefits came to an end and I went from receiving $280 a month to just $20 a month. The extra benefits are what initially compelled me to call the FoodShare helpline since
I didn’t think $20 a month would be enough to make a difference. As a retired senior, I have to maintain a strict budget. The emergency benefits being taken away was a huge loss. The change
came when I just started a new medication that was more expensive than what I was used to paying.