Hunger Task Force Warns Pantries Are “Not Equipped” For Coming Wave

Volunteers with Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee load boxes with food to be distributed to senior citizens. Courtesy of Hunger Task Force

Wisconsin food banks are expected to see increased demand this summer when refugees and other immigrants with humanitarian status will lose food assistance under a federal change.

Last year’s federal reconciliation bill limited eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, called FoodShare in Wisconsin, to green card holders with limited exceptions.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins praised the “One Big Beautiful Bill” in July for tackling “fraud and waste” within the federal program.

The change ended eligibility for noncitizen groups like refugees, people granted asylum and survivors of human trafficking or domestic violence.

Around 7,200 people in Wisconsin are expected to lose FoodShare benefits starting July 1, according to Reno Wright with Milwaukee-based food bank Hunger Task Force. That’s when Wisconsin will put in place the requirements that have already been rolled out in other states.

Wright, Hunger Task Force public policy and advocacy director, said people affected by the change will no longer be able to apply for new benefits starting July 1, and current recipients will lose their benefits at their next renewal date.

“We do anticipate that as these people lose access to this very vital food benefit, that they will have to turn to pantries that are supposed to be supplemental and really, are not equipped to absorb the increased traffic,” said Wright. He said an estimated 63 percent of people affected by the FoodShare change live in the Milwaukee area.

Wright said food pantries in Wisconsin and across the country have already seen increased traffic in the last two years, including a 35 percent increase in traffic at locations in his organization’s network.

Those working in hunger relief nationwide say federal cuts to SNAP, health insurance subsidies and other safety net programs have led to increasing need for assistance.

For families newly arrived in Wisconsin, FoodShare is a critical supplement while they get established in new jobs, according to Gail Cornelius, regional director for World Relief in Wisconsin. Her organization helps resettle refugees and other immigrants across the state, who Cornelius pointed out are legally eligible for work.

“While most are employed fairly quickly, often it is in entry-level positions where you know they may be making just above minimum wage,” she said. “They may have large families that they’re caring for, and so in that instance, just like anybody else here in our state, it’s really difficult to make ends meet.”

She said food assistance is usually temporary support until individuals can increase their wages, often through English-language learning, job training or applying to have professional credentials from other countries recognized in the U.S.

Of the population her organization serves, Cornelius estimates that 70 percent of the individuals losing FoodShare this year are children.

“That’s really just heartbreaking, that as a country we’re not providing that basic nutritional support, that’s really key for survival,” she said.

Cornelius said her organization is hoping to supplement the loss of FoodShare with donations of grocery gift cards or local food banks. She said part of that work means helping new residents understand how to access food pantries and other community support.

In Milwaukee, Wright said Hunger Task Force is also putting out the call for increased donations and volunteers to prepare for the coming demand. He said people who are concerned they may lose FoodShare can also contact Hunger Task Force’s outreach centers for help understanding their eligibility, especially if their legal status changes.

“We don’t want people to assume that just because they are an immigrant in this country, that they no longer have benefits,” he said.

Relief groups brace for end of food assistance for Wisconsin refugees was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.