Jewish Community Pantry: Demand growing as food donations decline

By Leon Cohen
of The Chronicle staff

“Troubles don’t come alone,” says a Yiddish proverb. That certainly seems to be the case for the providers of emergency food in the Milwaukee area, including the Jewish Community Pantry.

The Associated Press on Nov. 21 reported that local emergency food providers are facing both increased demand for their services and shortages of food to provide.

“It’s the worst food shortage in years,” according to Sherrie Tussler, executive director of the Hunger Task Force, quoted in that article.

And the Jewish Community Pantry is feeling that pinch, said Dorene Paley, director of community services at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center and, in that capacity, director of the pantry.

In a telephone interview, Paley said donations of food from the pantry’s sources — the Hunger Task Force, Second Harvest, and food drives from local synagogues — have declined.

At the same time, “the amounts of people we are being asked to serve has gone up,” she said. “We have a much larger client base.”

During the (October-September) 2005-2006 season, the Jewish Community Pantry served about 10,000 people, Paley said. During the 2006-2007 season, that number climbed to about 11,500, she said.

Paley said this growth may partly be related to the pantry’s new location. Since this past May 31, it has operated at 2720 N. 36th St.
“We are not in a crisis in that we may have to close our doors,” Paley said. “But we are having to be much more careful about the amount of food we purchase and distribute.”

However, Paley also said that the pantry has recently received some added contributions.

In the past few months, an effort spearheaded by Larry and Dan Stein, has led many local community members to make donations in the memory of their late father, Martin F. Stein, a businessman, philanthropist and activist who died last year. “Hunger was an issue he always addressed when he was alive,” Paley said.

And Debra Altshul-Stark and Brian Stark approached the pantry this past year with an offer to put up a challenge grant of $50,000 if the pantry could raise that amount by Dec. 31.

According to a recent fundraising letter, the pantry is within $13,000 of that goal. “People have come forward beautifully,” Paley said.

The Jewish Community Pantry is a program of three Milwaukee Jewish agencies: the JCC, the Women’s Division of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, and the Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations. Howard Karsh chairs the effort, and Lil Teplinsky is co-chair.
For more information, or to make a donation or a referral, call Paley at the JCC, 414-967-8217. To mail donations, send them to the Jewish Community Pantry c/o the Harry & Rose Samson Family JCC, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Whitefish Bay, WI, 53217.