Hunger Task Force’s Shelly Fortner discusses families’ struggles with food scarcity

Hunger Task Force La Crosse executive director Shelly Fortner joined La Crosse Talk PM on Tuesday. While people are struggling right now with rising costs, so is the Hunger Task Force with getting donations. We talked about what the HTF does, how its distributing food, needs volunteers, and has its biggest food drive of the year this Saturday.

La Crosse Talk PM airs weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Listen on the WIZM app, online here, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Find all the podcasts here or subscribe to La Crosse Talk PM wherever you get your podcasts.

The Post Office Food Drive on Saturday simply asks people to put donations in a bag by 8:30 a.m. and set them by your mailbox.

One of the reasons behind the HTF really needing donations is because the Emergency Foodshare program ended and that kicked 700,000 people in Wisconsin off added Food Stamp benefits.

Another program we discussed that is ending soon is the Badger Boxes, which not only help those in need, but also small Wisconsin farms.

We also hit on a few other important dates and topics including food distribution May 19 at the Salvation Army of La Crosse County, a Remainders concert May 20 at The Main in downtown La Crosse where proceeds go to the HTF and how volunteers are needed at the Kane Street Community Gardens, which distribute 30,000 pounds of food to La Crosse each harvest.