Hunger Task Force Will Double in Size
Set to open in March, new facility expands its capacity for FoodShare assistance.
Site of future Southside Community Resource Center, 802 W. Historic Mitchell St. Photo taken Jan. 14, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.
Chakula, comida, zaub mov, food — everyone needs it, but accessing programs like FoodShare can be a challenge, especially for those who don’t speak English as their primary language.
For years, Hunger Task Force has worked to bridge that gap, supporting residents in applying for and maintaining benefits through its FoodShare Resource Center, located in an 1890s building at 723 W. Historic Mitchell St.
The current office, which serves about 1,000 families per month, has long been a vital resource for the community.
Now, Hunger Task Force is set to expand its impact with the opening of its Southside Community Resource Center. The new, larger facility will double its footprint, broaden its services and further its mission to combat food insecurity.
“We’re less than two blocks from our current resource center, so it’ll be a smooth transition for folks who already use our services,” said Kate Kazan, Hunger Task Force’s communications and PR manager, during a hard hat tour of the in-progress facility.
Located at 802 W. Historic Mitchell St., the 7,000-square-foot building was previously a health center. Hunger Task Force purchased the property in July and is working to remodel it, a process CEO Matt King described as a “reimagination” of a space that had “suffered from at least a decade of deferred maintenance.”
The renovation, led by Kelly Construction & Design, is expected to cost roughly $1.3 million. Hunger Task Force has so far raised $1.7 million toward its $2.6 million fundraising goal.
The resource center is on track to open in March, offering in-person services in 13 languages including English, Spanish, Hmong, Burmese, Russian and more. Live interpretation technology will also be available for languages not directly offered.
“We not only have a multilingual staff that themselves speak over a dozen languages, but also technology that we can use to have a live translator available on-screen for any language that we don’t happen to speak.”
The model, he added, is the “exact same” as interpretation services offered in medical settings.
The center’s multilingual advocates will be on hand to guide visitors through the FoodShare application process, answer questions and assist with any life changes that may affect benefits, such as marriage, changes in employment or the arrival of a new baby.
Self-service resources like computers, phones, scanners and fax machines, will be accessible for walk-in use.
“A big part of what we do here is teaching people how to navigate the resources and benefit systems on their own, which really has the goal of empowering people to be advocates for themselves,” King said.
The center will also feature a waiting room decorated with local art, private offices and a conference room to support community engagement, nutrition education and other key services.
“This will be a place of training, but also a part of this community and the Historic Mitchell Street neighborhood,” King said.
No matter what the need, Hunger Task Force aims to assist with dignity and compassion, King added. “We have a history of that,” he said. “We have established trust in the community, and this space is really set up to help enhance that.”
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