VERONA ― The Wisconsin Beef Council (WBC) has donated $1,175 to Feeding Wisconsin from a spring fundraiser aimed at purchasing beef for families in need across the state.

“We thank the Wisconsin Beef Council for their generous contribution and appreciate our long-standing partnership and continued support from Wisconsin beef farmers who are helping to ensure that Feeding Wisconsin has the resources needed to support our local food banks,” Feeding Wisconsin Executive Director Jackie Anderson said. “Based on recent Feeding America Map the Meal Gap data, over 600,000 Wisconsinites, including more than 200,000 children, are food insecure. These rates, coupled with the fact that the cost per meal has increased by more than $1 dollar in recent years, results in Wisconsin families having a shortage of $450 million to make up on their own and an annual meal gap of more than 116 million meals.”

The WBC fundraiser, which ran for two weeks, sold 235 shirts, including t-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, and sweatshirts featuring the slogan, “You can’t live a full life on an empty stomach.”

“We are thankful for the community’s support,” WBC Director of Communications and Outreach Kaitlyn Kesler said. “Ensuring access to beef is important to our organization, and we are proud to work together to help Wisconsin’s foodbanks. Beef brings value to the table at all stages of life as a rich protein source offering 10 essential nutrients that are crucial for growing young minds and bodies as well as maintaining strength as we age.”

Feeding Wisconsin is the state association of the six regional Feeding America partner food banks that provide emergency food to over 1,000 local food pantries and meal programs in all 72 counties and 11 tribal nations throughout Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Beef Council has a longstanding partnership with Feeding Wisconsin having donated $7,000 to the organization from previous efforts.