On Thursday, October 29, the Kenosha County Food Bank received a refrigerated truck as part of a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). KCFB was one of thirteen Wisconsin programs to receive keys to new vehicles at the ceremony in West Milwaukee. These programs are all associated with the Hunger Relief Federation, and Thursday’s ceremony was covered by the Kenosha News and CBS 58, WDJT.
During the past several months of the pandemic, need has continued to increase throughout Wisconsin. Since June alone, Hunger Task Force has distributed 1,790,463 more pounds of food than in the same period in 2019 – an increase of nearly 30%. Additionally, the Hunger Relief Federation has received and distributed more than 2.5 million pounds of Wisconsin milk, cheese and dairy products to families statewide, as well as 9,195,280 pounds in combination boxes of produce, meat and dairy.
Having a refrigerated truck will make it possible for our young food bank to deliver food to our pantry network, reducing the work required in sourcing food. It will also allow us to respond when there is an unexpected opportunity for surplus food, as when a food distributor has cargo that needs to be rescued and distributed quickly.
For now, the KCFB truck will be housed at the Racine County Food Bank, and we will use RCFB dock space to repackage food for delivery to Kenosha pantries. The KCFB driver will make pick-ups and deliveries that benefit both Racine and Kenosha.
As KCFB continues its work connecting food resources with our local pantry network while seeking a permanent home and warehouse, our new truck will increase our ability to help our pantries as they serve those in need in Kenosha County.
