Community Perspectives on Addressing Food Insecurity

Project Description Narrative:

Cross-sector collaborations across food and health systems are essential to addressing the food insecurity experienced by children and families. In Wisconsin, 12.6% of children experience food insecurity, and in Milwaukee County, 25.5% of children do. Children living in food-insecure homes are sick more often and for longer and are also hospitalized more frequently.

Through this project, the Food Security and Health Pilot Collaborative—a cross-sector partnership connecting families to services—will test and evaluate a food outreach specialist model in a medical clinic to explore it as a method for connecting families to FoodShare (Wisconsin’s supplemental nutrition program) benefits and engage the community and service providers in data about food security.

The project will support meaningful and lasting solutions to food security in Wisconsin.

Community Partners: Data You Can Use, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Friedens Food Pantry, Children’s Community Health Plan, Milwaukee Health Department