Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin kicked off its annual Food for the Holidays campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 10, with every donation matched dollar-for-dollar through Dec. 31.
An anonymous donor is doubling all gifts made to the campaign through the end of the year, according to Fox 6 Milwaukee. That means a $25 donation becomes $50 for families facing hunger across Eastern Wisconsin, including Kenosha County.
The need is significant. Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin says food pantries and meal programs across its service area have seen a 30% to 40% increase in the number of people seeking food assistance over the past year, according to the organization's campaign page.
Monique Kelley, president and CEO of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, told WUWM in September that demand across the organization's partner network increased 30% to 40% over the past two years. In 2025 alone, 80,000 more people needed food assistance across Eastern Wisconsin, Kelley said.
Kelley told WUWM the organization sees a growing number of working families who earn too much to qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program but still struggle to afford groceries. SNAP enrollment in Wisconsin has fallen by nearly 50,000 people since March 2025, she said.
Kenosha County is among the 35 Eastern Wisconsin counties Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin serves, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. U.S. Census Bureau estimates from 2023, the most recent available, put the number of Kenosha County residents living in poverty at roughly 18,400, or about 11.3% of the population. Among children under 18, the estimated poverty rate was 15.6%.
Wisconsin native and comedian Charlie Berens returns for his fourth year as the campaign's ambassador. Fox 6 reported that Berens said looking out for neighbors "is just what we do" in Wisconsin and urged supporters to donate money or food.
"A little Midwest Nice can go a long way," Berens said, according to Fox 6.
Residents can donate online at FeedingAmericaWI.org/Holidays to have their gifts matched. Shoppers at Pick 'n Save and Metro Market stores can also help by rounding up their purchases at checkout. During November, the round-up program runs as part of "Grand Giving," and it continues through December.
For $6.99, Metro Market shoppers can pick up a copy of the "Who's Coming to Dinner?" cookbook featuring more than 40 recipes from chefs across Wisconsin and Illinois. Proceeds benefit local food banks, including Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, while supplies last.
The Food for the Holidays campaign accepts donations through Dec. 31.
