Northside Food Pantry Experiences 40% Surge in Attendance

Eastbrook Church Food Pantry, 5385 N. Green Bay Ave. Photo courtesy of Hunger Task Force.

Housed in a small garage behind Eastbrook Church, the eponymous food pantry has been serving the community for more than 30 years. A Hunger Task Force partner since 2006, Eastbrook Church Food Pantry takes pride in its selection and accessibility, offering a wide variety of grocery products and operating outside of regular business hours to accommodate working clients.

While Eastbrook sees new faces every month, its coordinator, Brian Dressner, said attendance, compared to the year prior, has surged approximately 40% over the past six months. Last month, the pantry, located at 5385 N. Green Bay Ave., served 334 households, of which 69 were new.

Dressner said the change can’t be attributed to just one factor. He noted that a major driver was a recent switch from curbside service to a choice model, which allows clients to enter the food pantry and select their own items, similar to a regular grocery store.

“We think this treats people with more dignity, and is more efficient,” Dressner said, noting that the model ensures clients are taking only what they want, reducing food waste.

As news of the new format spread, more residents made the trip. “It’s more popular,” Dressner said. “People like it more.”

Meanwhile, inflation in food prices persists, while programs like SNAP face an uncertain future as Republican lawmakers attempt to roll back benefits.

“The economy goes up and down,” Dressner said. “It’s difficult to say exactly, but there’s always external factors.”

Eastbrook primarily serves residents of the 53209 ZIP code, and Dressner said a variety of languages, including Ukrainian and Spanish, can often be heard in the waiting room.

“It is a majority African American ZIP code, so that that’s reflected in the numbers we get,” he said. “It’s interesting to see all the different groups come through.”

He noted that the volunteer cohort is equally diverse, with help coming from middle and high school students all the way up to retirees.

Hunger Task Force provides about 50% of the stock for the food pantry, which supplements donations from Trader Joe’s, Panera Bread and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. Offerings typically include canned goods, shelf-stable proteins, rice, nuts, cereal, bread, milk, cheese and meat.

“What’s very beneficial for our clients is the variety and quantity of frozen protein Hunger Task Force provides and the number of grains such as rice and oats,” Dressner said. “Our clients frequently tell us the cost of meat at the grocery store is steep. Because of the monthly supply from Hunger Task Force, we can be generous with the amount we give each household.”

Eastbrook Church Food Pantry, located along the PurpleLine and 80 bus routes, operates on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and Mondays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Visitors are allowed one visit per month, with food distributed according to household size. More information is available on the organization’s website.

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