Manitowoc County hunger coalition: survey finds 30% of households face food insecurity as pantries strain

Ben Peters, director of impact strategies for United Way Manitowoc County, told the county board that a recent hunger coalition survey of nearly 200 participants at food pantries and community meal sites found that 30% of households in Manitowoc County experience food insecurity.

The survey, presented on behalf of the Manitowoc County Hunger Coalition, also identified nearly 8,000 households in the ALICE category — asset limited, income constrained, employed — people who earn too much to qualify for many public benefits but not enough to reliably afford food and other necessities, Peters said.

The findings matter because they reflect demand across multiple local providers. Lynette Seminar, student services program support and families-in-transition liaison for the Manitowoc Public School District, told supervisors the district currently has about 2,000 students who qualify via direct certification for free or reduced-price lunch and that between 30% and 40% of students districtwide qualify for free or reduced lunch. Seminar said the district’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program is in place and that the district recently increased weekend meal bags sent home with students from 560 to 580 per week; Grow It Forward provides 400 of those student services.

Samantha Tamayo, who identified herself as a Salvation Army officer and co-leader of the local Salvation Army operations, said the organization’s mobile pantry serves 13 sites across the county and that in February 2024 the Salvation Army served a little more than 8,000 individuals. “We’re serving more first-time clients and an uptick in clients who haven’t needed assistance since 2019,” Tamayo said, describing more working families and seniors on fixed incomes seeking help.

Peters said he was sharing remarks on behalf of Amber Dogs, chief executive officer and founder of Grow It Forward, reporting that Grow It Forward experienced a $146,000 reduction in food resources — described as a 21% drop — tied to federal cuts in local food procurement and commodity programs at the same time pantry visits have increased by roughly 30%.

Laura Efloback of University of Wisconsin Extension’s FoodWIse program urged supervisors to visit pantries and volunteer. She noted FoodWIse serves SNAP-eligible families and that pantry participants told surveyors they did not feel known by the broader community. Efloback said county board members were welcome to join the hunger coalition and to get more directly involved with pantry operations.

Supervisors asked about partnerships and community responses. Supervisor Hansen, who said he serves on the Peter’s Pantry board, said his group has tripled the food it needs to purchase and distribute. Supervisor Brey asked how coalition members combat stereotypes that people seeking food assistance are “lazy”; Efloback and Tamayo responded by urging direct contact with clients and describing common causes such as health shocks, job loss, rising rent and fuel costs.

Speakers at the presentation recommended expanded local coordination and increased volunteer engagement to help pantries cope with higher demand and reduced federal support. They urged county leaders to use their positions to raise awareness and support local food programs.

The presentation was informational; no formal county board action on the coalition’s recommendations was recorded during the meeting.